The Coal Hill Chronicles
by dudelove85
Summary: The Doctor has finally returned for Clara, only she's a little later than planned and now has a previously unmentioned daughter onboard the TARDIS. Trouble flares up too close to home for Clara as the fabric of reality is collasping around her school. Can the trio put aside the feelings? The lives of hundreds of students depend on them doing just that. Part of my Series 8 AU
1. Episode 5: Three's A Crowd

_Episode 5: Three's A Crowd_

 _Chapter 1_

The Shoreditch area of London was fast becoming one of the most fashionable areas of the city. Not a week seemed to go past without another trendy wine bar or restaurant opening on the High Street. There was even a place to buy vintage breakfast cereals any time of the day if you so wished. Friday evenings was the day that this upmarket section of the East End truly came alive. The young professionals had finished their working week and were ready to let their hair down.

On one of these Friday evenings, two of these young professionals were dining in one of the more fashionable restaurants on Shoreditch High Street. It was a chilly February night and the young couple scurried out of their taxi and into the restaurant as quickly as they could. The lighting in the establishment was dim with each table illuminated by candle light. The perfect setting for a first date, "Hi, table for two under the name of Pink", the male greeted the young waitress on the door.

The blonde haired girl looked down the reservation list for a few moments before giving the man as smile, "Ah yes, you table is ready Sir", she replied and grabbed a couple of menus, "follow me when you're ready".

The man turned to his date for the evening and took a small step back, "After your Clara".

"Thank you Mr Pink", Clara smiled, slipping her leather jacket off and folding it across her arm. She followed the waitress to their table and took a seat.

Five weeks had passed since Clara Oswald had heard from The Doctor. The last time she had seen the Time Lady was outside the Tower of London after defusing the time bubble, preventing several legions of psychopathic aliens from destroying the planet. The awkward conversation that followed inside the TARDIS still played on the school teacher's mind. On reflection she could've handled the reappearance of the Time Lady better. Yes, this new Doctor was a lot moodier and erratic than the floppy haired man with the bow tie but she was still her friend. Clara realised that almost the second the TARDIS dematerialised.

She fully expected the Time Lady to ignore her wishes and reappear the following day but she didn't. The next week passed by slowly for Clara as she waited for The Doctor to reappear. She spent most of the day working on her apology to the woman, rehearsing it occasionally in the bathroom mirror. Exactly seven days passed but still no TARDIS or its raven haired pilot.

Clara then began to worry, what if something happen to The Doctor after she left London? Sure she had come back from the dead before but Clara didn't know how many regenerations The Doctor now had. This new body could've been unstable, the Time Lady hadn't talked about her rebirth in much detail. Numerous worst case scenarios rattled through her head in the following week, causing many sleepless nights for the teacher.

Once week three arrived Clara had stopped worrying and begun to consider the possibility that The Doctor wasn't returning. Not because she was dead but simply because she didn't want to see Clara anymore. Perhaps the irritability The Doctor demonstration wasn't part of the regeneration process, maybe this new Doctor didn't want to be around Clara. The school teacher replayed her interaction with the Time Lady back inside her mind, trying to pinpoint the exact moment that their friendship had broken. More sleepless nights followed for Clara as she spent most of her waking hours obsessed with The Doctor.

By week four the lack of sleep really began to take its toll on Clara. Her fellow teachers noticed and worst of all, her students were picking up on her vulnerable state and were taking full advantage. Her English classes went several days without getting assigned homework and assignments went ungraded. It was on the Wednesday of week four that she was brought back to reality with a bump, literally. She was walking through the corridors of Coal Hill in a zombie like state when she crashed into one of her fellow teachers, the new Maths teacher Danny Pink.

The moment she laid eyes on Danny, Clara was smitten with the man. His dark brown eyes were warm but looking a little deeper, she could see personal pain and tragedy lingering in the background. She looked a little too deep into his eyes during their first meeting, to the point that Danny felt a little uncomfortable. A brief apology was shared between the pair and they went their separate ways. Thus began the tentative friendship of Clara Oswald and Danny Pink.

As the days continued to move forward, Clara's thoughts of The Doctor were quickly replaced with daydreams of the charming, if nervous, Maths teacher. Clara stopped dwelling on her friendship with the Time Lady, telling herself that she had done nothing wrong and if The Doctor still wanted to travel with her, then it was her job to come and find her.

That brought Clara to today. She was greeted in the staff room by Danny, who was looking more nervous than usual around her. He fumbled over his words a couple times as he tried to ask her what her plans were for the weekend. When Clara responded that her diary was free, a look of terror and panic flashed across Danny's face. Moments later he mumbled something about a pile of marking and dashed out the room. It took a casual comment from one of the other teachers about how cute Clara and Danny acted around each other for the brunette to realise that Danny was trying to ask her out. She had to chuckle at the nervousness of the man, acting like a teenager with a schoolboy crush. In many ways Clara was flattered that she had that effect on the man.

For the rest of the day, Clara's thoughts were firmly on Danny. A couple of times he walked past her classroom, getting as far as the door before hurrying away. Clara dragged this out for the rest of day but eventually she had to put the man out of his misery. After the final bell had rung, she marched straight into his classroom and practically told him that she was available for this evening. Danny took several painful seconds to put piece together Clara's hints and finally blurted out, very loudly, if she would like to have dinner. Once the ringing in her ears dissipated, she responded in the positive and suggested the very restaurant they were now sitting in.

Going out to dinner was a nice change for Clara, there was never too many opportunities to dress herself up for an evening out when The Doctor was around. Usually her outfit would consist of something that was reasonably practical to move around in, preferably with sensible footwear because running would probably be involved at some point. Tonight though she had gone all out by straightening her hair and choosing the most impractical skirt from her wardrobe that she could find. She even found her highest pair of heels to give her a little more height than usual. Tonight was about enjoying herself, not running around some alien spaceship or through the streets of London trying to defuse bombs.

After the couple had ordered their food the waitress took their menus, leaving them to their date. Without someone to look at, the couple were suddenly uncomfortable making small talk. At least with the menus in front of them they could talk about the food on offer. Left to their own devices, conversation was in very short supply. Suddenly Danny's nervousness, which seemed charming just a few hours ago, left Clara feeling extremely uncomfortable. "So you just started a few weeks ago", Clara finally decided to get the conversation moving.

"Yeah my last job was working out so", he shrugged nervously, "still quite new to teaching".

"It gets easier", Clara replied, "at least you don't have Courtney Woods in your Maths class". Danny smiled nervously but offered no further response. Inwardly Clara groaned, perhaps this date wasn't such a good idea after all. There was still time to redeem the evening, maybe Danny would come out of his shell as the night went on. Maybe a change of conversation was needed, "You don't just teach Maths do you", she asked, "when I've worked late, I've seen you out on the field with a small group".

"Fitness training", Danny stated, "Mr Francis wanted some help with his PE GCSE class and I offered to run a few circuits with some of his students". Danny's eyes brightened slightly, boosting Clara's spirits, "I've always been an active person, it really helped me during my time in-".

Danny's sentence seemed to stick in his throat and he visible retreated into himself. Clara frowned slightly, wondering what he didn't want to say, "During your time in where?" she asked softly.

"The Army", Danny responded after taking a couple of deep breathes, "did two tours of Afghanistan before getting discharged". He shook his head, "Sorry I clammed up, some people aren't very pro-Army in this country".

"Even if you don't support the reason, you should still support the soldiers", Clara said firmly, which brought a small smile to Danny's face. "You don't have to worry about that with me", she continued, "I do love a squaddie". The moment the words left her mouth, her face turned bright red, "Oh my God that did not come out right", she exclaimed and ran her hand through her hair, "now I sound like a groupie or something".

For the first time that evening Danny chuckled, "Don't worry about it", he smiled, "we make a right pair don't we?"

Clara raised her head slightly, catching Danny's eyes which were now full of hope and optimism, "Yes we do", she agreed with him. Maybe this date wouldn't be so bad after all, "Now would be a good time for our food to arrive before I embarrass myself any more". As Clara was looking around the restaurant, she noticed someone at the window, "Not now", she groaned, "why does she reappear now, of all the moments to pick".

"Who you talking about?" Danny asked and looked over to the window. Waving frantically with a broad grin on her face was a dark haired woman who looked to be in her mid thirties, "Is that a purple velvet coat?" he said out loud, "that's a bold fashion statement".

"That's one way of putting it", Clara sighed, shaking her head at The Doctor. Shaking her hands vigorously she mouthed, "Go away", but the Time Lady either couldn't make it out or more likely, didn't want to. Moments later she disappeared and for a brief moment Clara thought she got the message. That moment quickly vanished as the Time Lady strode into the restaurant like she owned the place, "I'm sorry about this Danny".

The Maths teacher didn't get a chance to ask Clara what she meant by that as The Doctor cried, "Clara", very loudly across the restaurant, distracting the other patrons, "I've come back for your Clara". The Time Lady weaved through the tables until she reached the school teacher, "Sorry I took so long", she threw her arms around the woman, "but what's a couple of weeks between friends".

Clara stiffened slightly at the touch of the Time Lady, the last time they met The Doctor didn't seem like the hugging type. Something had changed dramatically in the last five weeks, "Five weeks", Clara suddenly remembered and blurted it out, "you said you'd be back in a week, it's been five bloody weeks".

The Doctor took a couple of paces back, stung by the harsh tone of her companion, "Five weeks?" the Time Lady bit her lip, "oops", she shrugged.

"Oops?" Clara exclaimed, "that's the best you can come up with?"

"Come on Clara don't be like this", the Time Lady began, "I've got some great stories to tell you, I've been to Japan which reminds me there's someone outside I really want you to meet", she added breathlessly. As The Doctor paused for breath, she finally noticed Danny sitting across the table, "No way", she bent down over the table, inspecting the Maths teacher closely, "genetic multiplicity is a marvellous thing".

"Erm, hello to you too", Danny said nervously.

The Doctor wasn't listening, she pulled out her sonic screwdriver and scanned Danny, "Hmm, genetic relation, not quite as interesting but you can't have everything". She placed her hands on Danny's cheeks and began to manipulate his face, "But still, the resemblance is remarkable", she cried with joy, "you humans with your DNA".

"Doctor", Clara hissed, "could you release my date before you scare him off".

"There you are", another female voice called out, this one belonging to a red haired young woman in a dark blue leather jacket, red skinny jeans and white converse trainers, "I turn my back for five seconds and you run off without me".

"But Jenny", The Doctor said excitedly, "look who it is", she pointed at Danny.

Jenny looked at the teacher and her jaw dropped, "Blimey, that's freaky", she stated, "are shared appearances common in humans?" she asked. Suddenly Jenny was very aware that everyone was staring at her and The Doctor, "Erm, perhaps we should step outside", she physically pulled The Doctor off Danny, "seriously Mum let's get out of here", she added with a quiet whisper.

The Doctor finally noticed the furious look on Clara's face, "Erm, yes perhaps you're right", she began to scuttle out of the restaurant.

"Good to meet you Clara", Jenny called out as the pair departed through the door.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before the patrons gradually got back to their meals. Danny was still in shock, he had been manhandled by someone that clearly knew Clara, "Friends of yours?" he asked.

"Not for much longer", he slammed her napkin onto the table, "I'll be back in a few minutes". She stomped out of the restaurant, determined to give the Time Lady a piece of her mind. First she turned up weeks late without offering an apology and then she interrupts her date. The red haired woman was a mystery to her, surely The Doctor couldn't have replaced her in the TARDIS already? She physically stopped in her tracks, did the mystery woman call The Doctor Mum? The dark haired Time Lady had a lot of explaining to do.

 _ **A/N**_ _– Didn't plan on uploading the new story so quickly but I've been on fire lately and I'm eager to share the next episode with everyone. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it._


	2. 5: Hell Hath No Fury

_Chapter 2 –Hell Hath No Fury...  
_

"Well that could've gone better", The Doctor sighed as she and Jenny casually strolled down Shoreditch High Street. The TARDIS was parked underneath an isolated railway bridge a few hundred metres away. The blue box would be a welcome refuge right now for the two Time Ladies. They had unintentionally embarrassed Clara during the middle of a date and the school teacher was bound to be furious. Not only that but The Doctor was late for their scheduled rendezvous, "Five weeks?" the older Time Lady exclaimed, "that's the last time I let you drive".

Jenny slapped her mother on the arm, "Hey, I was only following your expert advice", she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "do you think she'll forgive us?"

"Probably", The Doctor shrugged, "not the first time I've lost my way in the Time Vortex". She chuckled lightly to herself, "I once spent three years trying to get a mouthy Australian to Heathrow Airport", subconsciously she rubbed her ears, "I don't think my hearing's been the same since".

The familiar blue box was coming into view, all the pair needed to do was pull aside a loose fence panel and they would be in the same strip of land as the TARDIS. The Doctor spent the last few moments of their walk in silence, trying to think of a suitable way to earn Clara's forgiveness. The petite English teacher had looked really annoyed with the Time Lady but she wasn't sure if it due to her lateness or the manhandling of her date. That was one impulsive action that she wished she could take back, "So that guy back in the restaurant", Jenny's voice cut through her thoughts, "he looked just like Orson Pink didn't he".

"Yes I thought so too", The Doctor replied idly, "they're related to each other in some way. Best guess is that he is the grandfather or great-grandfather of the Colonel". The Time Ladies reached the TARDIS door and The Doctor fumbled in her pocket for her key, "It's a shame really I was hoping that he was some kind of clone", she added, placing the key in the lock, "human blood relation, that's so dull and tedious".

As The Doctor was talking, a thought crossed Jenny's mind, "You don't think that Clara's related to Colonel Pink", she stated, "I mean, she was on a date with that man".

Strangely that hadn't even crossed The Doctor's mind. The odds that she would bump into two people at different points in the timestream that were related to each other were quite high. But after the recent run of interlinked events, the older Time Lady added it to her mental list of things to explore at a later stage. "Doctor", a shrill voice called out across the wasteland.

"Ah speaking of Clara", The Doctor smiled at the approaching brunette. Clara thought didn't appear to be in a mood for a pleasant conversation. The Doctor didn't need to use her telepathy to notice that the school teacher was extremely angry. She stomped to a halt opposite The Doctor, her chest moving rapidly. Evidently she had moved quickly to catch up with her, "You look taller", the Time Lady stated, cocking her head to one side, "I know I'm a little shorter than bow tie man but I don't remember you being this tall".

Commenting about her height wasn't the best conversation starter with an already furious Clara Oswald. If this had been a cartoon, steam would've been pouring out of the school teachers ears. The flippant comment did derail her slightly though. The march down the High Street gave Clara enough time to prepare her verbal salvo against the Time Lady but just a few words had completely thrown her trail of thought, "I'm wearing heels", Clara said defensively, "is that allowed?"

"Your feet are your own", The Doctor shrugged, "but don't come complaining to me if you suffer from foot pain in ten years time".

Clara blinked a couple of times, wondering if The Doctor was deliberately trying to annoy her or if she was genuinely dispensing helpful advice. Either way she wasn't reading the situation very well, "What the hell was that all about in the restaurant?" she barked, "Danny probably thinks I'm raving mad for associating with someone like you". She snorted and shook her head, "That's if he's still there when I get back".

"I'm sorry Clara", the Time Lady sighed, "truly I am".

"Yeah your date just looked like someone we met in the future", Jenny added.

The school teacher looked at the red head in confusion, "I'm sorry but who are you?" she asked, "didn't take you long to replace me then Doctor. Did you just grab the first girl that crossed your path?"

"Don't speak about Jenny like that", the older Time Lady said with a frosty tone, "unless you want to see my unpleasant side Clara Oswald".

The atmosphere was suddenly very tense, The Doctor was bubbling with anger directed firmly at her companion. On the other side Clara was a whirlwind of emotions, she was still annoyed with The Doctor but something else was creeping in, fear. The tone the dark haired alien used was normally reserved for her enemies, she had never spoken to Clara that way before and it scared her. Stuck in the middle was Jenny, she didn't want to come between her mother and Clara, "I'll just...", she pointed at the TARDIS door, taking the cowards way out and stepping inside.

The uncomfortable silence continued for nearly a minute, the anger on both sides had dissipated but now The Doctor and Clara were too ashamed to make the first move. The school teacher crossed her arms in front of her chest, mostly to stave off the cold February air, "She seems nice", she began with a small voice, "very pretty".

"Thank you", The Doctor gave her a small smile in return, "we do share some of the same genetic material".

Clara's eyes widened, remembering what the red haired woman had called The Doctor back in the restaurant, "She's your daughter?" she gasped.

The Doctor nodded, "I thought I lost her, many centuries ago but now I found her again", she looked up towards the sky, "it's an interesting story that I'd like to share with you some time".

It took Clara a few minutes to process that piece of information, The Doctor had found another member of her species. Not just anyone but a daughter that Clara didn't even know she had. She hadn't expected the Time Lady to share everything about her past. The previous Doctor wasn't very open about his past but concealing a daughter was pretty big. It made her realise that she didn't know The Doctor very well at all, "Is that why you didn't come back?" she asked.

"It wasn't deliberate", the Time Lady sighed and tapped the side of the TARDIS, "I was giving Jenny her first proper flying lesson and I didn't check the co-ordinates properly". She took a couple of steps closer, "I missed you", she added, attempting to catch the teacher's eyes. It was then that she saw the uncertainty written all over Clara's face and her hearts broke, "Something wrong?" she asked softly.

Clara took a couple of moments to compose herself, "This is just a lot to take in", she began, "these last few weeks have been hard, what with your death, reappearance and then extended disappearance". She paused and lowered her head slightly, "Now you have a daughter and it makes me realise that I really don't know you. I thought I knew the previous Doctor but I guess I was wrong about that too".

The Time Lady's head dropped, that was almost a killer blow for her, "We're the same person Clara", she replied gently, "we're both The Doctor, same person just in a different wrapper". She raised her head slightly, her eyes glistening with moisture, "It's hard revisiting your past, everyone wants to see their Doctor", she raised her hand and began counting off with her fingers, "whether its bow tie man, sandshoes, teeth and curls, whoever, they want to see their Doctor". She paused and took a deep breath, "But what they don't understand is that The Doctor is standing right in front of them. They look past me trying to see someone that will never be there again", she fully caught Clara's eyes, "Do you know how heartbreaking that is?"

Perhaps for the first time, Clara finally saw straight into the Time Lady's soul. She realised that she was doing exactly the same thing as a number of others had in past. She was seeking out the floppy haired Doctor and completely ignoring the woman in front of her. Suddenly her own problems with The Doctor seemed insignificant. Here she was complaining about a few weeks, a drop in the ocean for someone over two thousand years old, when all the time The Doctor was carrying around the knowledge that hundreds of the people she had met in the past would never recognise her as their Doctor. "I guess I don't", Clara whispered in answer to The Doctor question.

Silence again descended, only to be broken by the sound of a train rattling overhead. Once the noise abated The Doctor thrust her hands deep into her pockets and kicked at the dirt, "Perhaps we should continue this another time", she began, "you should get back to your date".

"Tomorrow Doctor", Clara said firmly, "don't be a stranger", she wanted to hug The Doctor but the whole situation felt awkward enough already. With a final wave Clara turned around and headed back onto the High Street.

It took The Doctor a few moments to summon up the courage to move. Her gaze was kept firmly on Clara, watching her disappear into the distance. Once the school teacher was out of sight, The Doctor pushed the TARDIS door open and stepped inside. Immediately she felt the ship attempt to soothe her pain with a comforting hum inside her head. The Time Lady gentle shut the door and propped herself against the frame, "I heard some of what you said", Jenny said from her position at the console, "I can't imagine how hard that can be for you".

"Sadly you will find that out yourself one day", the older Time Lady said sadly, "but I hope that's a long way off". The Doctor wiped her eyes and pushed herself away from the door, "Still, no use standing around feeling sorry for myself after all, tomorrow is another day".

"So you're still going back for Clara?" Jenny asked hopefully.

"Why wouldn't I?" The Doctor replied, crossing the gangway to reach the console, "I don't give up on my friends easily Jenny", she added and flipped a couple of switches. She began to set the controls for tomorrow morning, hoping to land the TARDIS somewhere near Coal Hill School. As she did this, she noticed something unusual on the scanner, "That's weird", she commented.

"What is?" Jenny asked, standing directly behind her mother.

"Dimensional anomalies centred on the school", The Doctor commented vaguely, "probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, I've had a lot of adventures around that school". She smiled at the memories of Coal Hill, of Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton and of Susan's time as a student there. She never thought of it until now but it was a massive coincidence that Clara was not a teacher at the same school.

A deep frown began to form on The Doctor face and Jenny was able to pick up on some surface thoughts, "A temporal nexus?" she said in confusion, "I came across that in one of my books but I didn't understand what it meant".

"It's similar to a fixed point in the time stream", the older Time Lady replied. "Several time lines converge on Coal Hill, some of them mundane, others a little more important to the fabric of space and time. The presence of the nexus makes time naturally more flexibly in the surrounding area but the consequence is increased weakness in the dimensional walls".

Jenny took the words in but she wasn't on the same wavelength as her mother, "Is it dangerous?"

"Depends", The Doctor shrugged, "I think this warrants some further investigation". She pulled up a list of the faculty at Coal Hill School and across three familiar names, Clara obviously and a Danny Pink, confirming her suspicious about his genetic relationship to Colonel Pink. The third name caused her to take a trip down memory lane. With a broad smile on her face she directed the TARDIS towards the following day. Maybe this day was looking up after all ** _._**


	3. 5: Mistress Of Disguise

_Chapter 3 – Mistress Of Disguise_

"What's taking you so long Mum?" Jenny called out from the console room.

The Doctor wasn't in the main control room of the TARDIS, instead she was down the corridor in the wardrobe, "Perfection takes time dear", she replied tartly, "a Time Lady can blend effortlessly into their surroundings without arousing suspicion".

Jenny merely rolled her eyes and went back to fiddling with the TARDIS control panel with her mother's sonic screwdriver. Unfortunately for the two Time Lady's whatever dimensional anomalies were in the vicinity of Coal Hill School, it was impacting the time ship's ability to land at the correct co-ordinates. They had already made a couple of attempts, firstly ending up hundreds of miles away in the Scottish town of Inverness. The second attempt saw them arrive in the correct place but five hundred years too early, startling the poor residents of the rudimental settlement in the area. It seemed that they could arrive on the correct day or location, just not both at the same time.

Realising that she wouldn't be able to keep her promise to Clara, The Doctor returned to Inverness the day after the restaurant incident and borrowed a mobile phone from one of the locals. She messaged Clara with her apologies and promised to land as close to their previous meeting as possible. The older Time Lady despised using such primitive methods but after her argument with Clara, she didn't want her friend to think that she had abandoned her again.

"Alright, almost got it", Jenny mumbled, pulling a couple of wires from the console. She touched the two exposed ends together, creating a larger than expected spark of electricity. The red head dropped the live cables back into the console and leapt backward, "Not what I was expecting to happen", she swore. She placed her index finger in her mouth, temporarily soothing a small electrical burn.

"What the hell are you doing to my ship?" The Doctor cried as she stomped back into the console room. Some of the lights had gone out after Jenny's attempt at electrical engineering, giving the room an ominous glow.

"I bypassed the autolocking temporal sensors", Jenny shrugged, "creating a new circuit that should sidestep the temporal pockets in the Shoreditch area. The downside is that we'll probably be stuck in the area, if we take off we won't be able to come back again".

The Doctor pressed her fingers against her temples, "Yes yes very clever", she hissed, "but essentially you just hotwired a TARDIS. Not just any TARDIS but the last bloody TARDIS in existence, do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

"Alright don't get your knickers in a twist", Jenny grumbled, "but I've enabled you to see Clara without missing another two months", she bowed dramatically, "you're welcome". Jenny's frustration at her mother slowly dissipated, giving her a chance to inspect her choice of 'blending in' attire, "That's it?" she said in disbelief, "you've spent the last hour in the wardrobe and only changed your jacket?"

"I got distracted", The older Time Lady said defensively. Her basic outfit was exactly the same except that she had swapped out her purple jacket for a beige knee length trench coat, "I've never really explored the women's section of the wardrobe before. It's so big that I got lost, really gives meaning to the phrase bigger on the inside".

Jenny snorted, "Yeah sure", she pulled back on the handbrake, slowing their decent and generating the familiar groaning noise from the time ship

"A true mistress of disguise shouldn't have to do much to blend in", The Doctor added, snatching her screwdriver out of Jenny's hand. She checked the console to make sure they had landed successfully, "Only 61 hours after we last met Clara, not bad", she said, ignoring the beaming smile from her daughter. The older Time Lady made her way towards the exit but noticed that Jenny was following her, "Just where do you think you're going young lady?"

"To meet Clara", Jenny deadpanned, not truly understanding the point of the question.

The Doctor shook her head, "Before you can do that, you need to put the TARDIS back to way it was before", she held up a finger to stop any protests from Jenny, "and you've got homework to finish".

"But Mum", Jenny whined and pouted.

"No buts", The Doctor stated firmly, "I'll ask Clara back to the TARDIS tonight, you can properly meet her then". The red haired Time Lady crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly, however, The Doctor could sense that she wasn't going to argue further, "I'll be back in an hour, be good until then". The Time Lady left her daughter behind and stepped out into the cool morning air of London. She took a quick look around and a sense of déjà vu washed over her as she took in the sights of a very familiar looking scrapyard, "Totters Lane", she muttered, "what are the odds?"

The Doctor straightened out her hair and set off on the short walk towards Coal Hill School. The streets were filling up with parents dropping their children off for the start of school. The older Time Lady had to smile at the sight of sullen looking kids getting scolded by their parents, "Some things never change", she said to herself. Whether human or Time Lady the basics of parenting, including the reactions of the child, never really changed.

Turning the corner, The Doctor got her first look at Coal Hill School for the first time in a very long time. Some renovation work had obviously been done since the early 1960's but the building was fundamentally the same. Multiple memories flashed across the Time Lady's mind, some of them hers and some of them belonging to Susan. Her granddaughter really enjoyed her time attempting to fit in at a human school, even if the lessons were unfulfilling for her level of intelligence.

The major changes to the school came internally. The corridors were much cleaner than The Doctor remembered but at the same time much more cluttered. Tangling from the ceiling and walls were numerous hand painted flags of different countries. Quickly scanning the notice board, The Doctor read something about a cultural festival celebrating the diversity of London, "Bit different from my day", the older Time Lady frowned. It wasn't mocking towards the ethnic diversity of the British capital, more a statement that half a century ago children learned the basics of Maths, English and Science rather than this.

Moving on before she sounded like a cranky old woman, The Doctor turned right at the end of the corridor. Entering the English block, she found one of the people she was looking for. Clara was deep in conversation with the man from the restaurant and it took her a few moments to notice the arrival of the Time Lady. Her eyes widened with surprise the moment she spotted her, "Doctor", she said as politely as she could, "this is a pleasant surprise".

"Well I've never visited you at work before", the Time Lady smiled, "thought I'd drop in a say hello". She noticed the raised eyebrow from her companion, "Alright you've got me, I've got a meeting with the Head of Governors", she added.

"Really", Clara replied, "a meeting, that's what you're going with".

"So cynical Clara Oswald", she scolded and placed her hand against one of her hearts, "I'm almost offended". She turned to the man and offered her hand, "Danny Pink correct?" the man nodded nervously, "Clara's told me so much about you".

Danny gently shook her hand but didn't offer a verbal response, if anything he looked scared of the dark haired woman, "Danny this is my friend", Clara began but baulked at giving The Doctor's name. Her previous preferred alias wouldn't really work anymore, introducing her as 'John Smith' would make her look crazier than she already did.

"Doctor Susan Campbell", the Time Lady offered, sensing Clara's indecision, "but you can just call me The Doctor, everyone else does".

"The Doctor?" Danny asked curiously.

"Yeah she's a little", Clara rolled her wrist a couple of times, attempting to think of an appropriate word.

"And you call yourself an English teacher Clara Oswald", The Doctor chuckled warmly, "my students have been known to call me eccentric. That little display in the restaurant the other night was just a little practical joke. Sometimes if I see my friends out and about, I like to pretend I'm an alien to freak out whoever they're with". Noticing Clara shaking her head in an attempt to get her to stop talking, The Doctor's voice trailed off, "Anyway must dash, Mr Chesterton's a busy man". The Time Lady was about to walk away when she suddenly remembered something, "Oh by the way my daughter would really like to meet you properly, how about dinner at my place tonight?"

Clara frowned slightly but nodded in agreement, "Sounds good but you usually come to mine for dinner".

"Well I like to live on the edge now", the Time Lady smiled, "76 Totters Lane, say around seven". She didn't wait for a response and walked off, leaving Clara and a very bemused Danny far behind.

A few moments later The Doctor found herself outside the office of the Head of Governors. Knocking gently on the door she waited a few moments before getting the call to enter. Sitting behind the desk was an elderly man with swept back silver hair. Elderly was perhaps a harsh description of the man, even though he was into his eighties he could've easily passed for sixty. "Oh", the man stated, "I was expecting The Doctor not his assistant".

A small smile appeared on The Doctor face, news of his latest regeneration hadn't reached the man yet. She decided to play along for a bit, just to see how long it would take him to realise who she really was, "I prefer the term companion", she began, "Ian Chesterton I presume?"

"Indeed", Ian replied, "and who might you be?"

The Doctor thought for a moment before offering the alias she used when introducing herself to Danny, "You can call me Susan", she stated.

Ian leaned back in his chair and eyed the woman curiously, "A curious name for one of The Doctor's companions".

"Can't help what my parents called me", The Doctor struggled not to smile, Ian was always an uptight kind of person when they travelled together. Although she would never admit it, she loved winding up him during their time on the TARDIS.

"Forgive my rudeness", Ian began, "but I was expecting the man himself". He paused and sighed, "I travelled with him during the early sixties you know. Two years I spent with that cantankerous old man", he held his hands up, "don't get me wrong I loved my time on the TARDIS but he could be a little rude. Then a few years after I left he returns but this time he's wearing a face of a man probably younger than I was", he chuckled lightly to himself, "it was a surprise, especially that ridiculous bow tie of his".

Instinctively The Doctor's hand went up to her neck, she wasn't a fan of bow ties herself and frequently mocked the Eleventh Doctor's fashion choice but she could do that, technically it was her choice as well, "Yeah, bows ties are cool, isn't that what he says", she chuckled nervously.

"Yes he does", Ian sighed and leaned forward, "I was terribly disappointed that I couldn't go to his memorial service but then I here on the grapevine that he wasn't actually dead. That was probably one of the happiest moments of my life".

"I'm sure you had your reasons", The Doctor had grown bored of teasing Ian and decided it was time to reveal her rouse, "I wasn't offended, you were my first human friend after all". Ian's head slowly and caught the gaze of the Time Lady, "Come on Chesserman", she said in her best impersonation of the original Doctor, "surely your brain cells haven't deteriorated that much, hmm".

It took a few moments for Ian to put all the pieces together in his mind, "Doctor?" the raven haired woman nodded and smiled, "well, this is", he paused and swallowed deeply, "different".

"You're telling me, trying living it", The Doctor snorted, "it's good to see you again Ian". She paused and added in a solemn tone, "I was sorry to learn about Barbara's passing, I tried to get to the service but something came up". She didn't want to add that the 'something' was the defence of a planet that caused her to die of old age. The mood was already solemn enough without contributing to it.

Ian smiled gratefully, "Thank you Doctor, it's funny all the dangerous situations we found ourselves in and she dies from something as mundane as cancer". He paused to allow himself to regain his compose, "Still at least it was peaceful in the end". Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he switched the conversation back to the Time Lady, "So how many times have you done that regeneration thing since we last met".

"Just the once", The Doctor replied, "but it's still been a long time, close to eight hundred years since the last time we met". She clapped her hands together, grabbing Ian's attention and breaking the depressing mood, "But I'm not here to dwell on the past, I've come to ask a favour".

"A favour", Ian frowned, "I'm just a retired school teacher who now works as a school governor", he shook his head, "I'm not sure what I can do to help you".

"Don't sell yourself short", The Doctor snapped, "there were many times that you saved my life. Not only that but you helped me become a better person. Without people like you and Barbara I would still be that cantankerous person you first met", she added with a cheeky smile, turning Ian's words back on him.

"Stop with the praise, you'll give me a swollen ego", Ian blushed. He leaned forward and interlocked his fingers together, "Alright, what do you need Doctor?"

"Oh that's simple", the Time Lady replied, "I need to borrow your school for a bit". As Ian listened to the Time Lady, he began to wonder if this woman was completely sane. The idea that she was proposing was so crazy that if someone discovered what he did then he would be kicked off the board. Despite his misgivings the passion that was behind this woman's words convinced him to agree to her request. He just hoped that he had still had a school to govern once this was over.

 ** _A/N -_** _Ian Chesterton is the first of several past Doctor Who characters to show up in this story. A few more will appear including the second appearance of my OC Winifred McQueen, who appeared in the opening story._

 _The incident where Ian met Eleven comes from the comics. Turns out, if you follow that canon, that Eleven was the one who broke the chameleon circuit on his own TARDIS (well One's TARDIS)._


	4. 5: Come Dine With Me

_Chapter 4 – Come Dine With Me_

The rest of the school day passed slowly for Clara. Her attention span during the day had been severely reduced. Her thoughts were dominated with her dinner appointment with The Doctor and her daughter later that evening. Her first introduction to Jenny hadn't been the smoothest, that was the evening of her little shouting match with the older Time Lady in the middle of Shoreditch High Street. She had hundreds of questions floating around inside her mind, where did Jenny come from? Who was her original mother and perhaps the most pressing question, why hadn't The Doctor mentioned her before?

Her mood wasn't helped by a constant stream of questions from Danny. Clara could tell that her fellow teacher didn't buy The Doctor's cover story and he spent most of the lunch break bombarding her with queries about the Time Lady. She was almost happy when the lunch bell rang and she could retreat to the safety of her classroom for the rest of the day. She didn't bump into Danny on the way out either, his bicycle was missing from the shed so he must've left the school even earlier than Clara.

It was nearly 7pm and Clara was struggling to find the address The Doctor had given her earlier that day. After looking up Totters Lane on Google she was surprised to see that it was in an industrial area just on the edge of Shoreditch. The rows of terraces houses soon gave way to large factories and warehouses the further she walked down the street. As she was in an industrial area and as it was past the end of the working day, there was no one around to ask directions. Coupled with the cold, dark and cloudy night, a deep sense of unease was falling over the school teacher.

"Seventy four", Clara counted off the number on the front of a garage forecourt. She was certain that the next building in line would be the one she was looking for but nothing was ever that simple when The Doctor was involved, "Seventy eight?" she frowned, looking at the outside of a paper factory. The other side of the street wasn't much help either, she could see numbers seventy five and seventy seven but no number seventy six, "Doctor, you're going to be the death of me", she hissed under her breath.

By pure chance she happened to notice a small alley way between the garage and the paper factory. Taking a curious peek down the passageway, she noticed a rusty looking sign barely illuminated by the street light, "I.M Foreman Scrap Dealers", she read out loud, "76 Totters Lane". Now Clara was really confused, "Travel the universe he said", Clara grumbled, recalling her first meeting with the Eleventh Doctor, "see the wonders of the galaxy". She sighed and marched down the alley, the heels on her boots echoing loudly, "This better be the best bloody scrapheap in the cosmos".

Clara found the gate of the scrapheap open and stepped inside. The area was completely unlit so the school teacher had to activate the light on her phone to see where she was going. Fortunately she didn't have to walk far to see the familiar blue box standing like a beacon in the gloom. She put her phone back into her bag and approached the door. Clara took a deep breath and tried to suppress her anxiety over this dinner date. She was about to open the door when to her shock, it flew open. She stumbled forward and fell straight into the arms of The Doctor, "Oh Clara", the Time Lady gasped, "I was about to send out a search party".

"Next time try parking the TARDIS somewhere near civilisation", the brunette grumbled. She extracted herself from The Doctor's arms and stepped fully into the TARDIS.

"Ah that couldn't be helped", The Doctor began, "see we've found a temporal anomaly around the area preventing proper materialisation. In this timeline we could only land on this exact spot or Inverness, probably due to some eddies in the vortex", her voice trailed off as she could see Clara's eyes glazing over,"it's not that important actually".

Clara took another look around the new TARDIS console room, truthfully she hadn't taken it all in the last time she was here. The more she looked around, the more she fell in love the absurdity of the place. The copper and bronze pipes interlacing themselves around the console and Time Rotor gave her the sense of standing in the driver's cab of a steam train. It was so idiosyncratic that it could only belong to The Doctor. No one else would be crazy enough to pilot something like this. Her sense were then hit with the most wonderful smell ever to hit her nose, "Are you cooking?" she asked the Time Lady, "since when did you know how to cook?"

"Clara I'm two thousand years old", The Doctor huffed but she still kept a small smile on her face, "I think it's a fair assumption that I've learned how to cook". She led the school teacher out of the console room and into the rear corridor, "This is Steynichratian cuisine", the Time Lady continued, "it's one of the few things that both Jenny and I know how to cook. It's usually eaten with anti-gravity chopsticks because the Steynians have very small arms but I think we can safely dispense of those tonight".

The mention of Jenny brought one of Clara's many questions to the front of her mind, "Doctor", she said slowly, "where did Jenny come from?" The raven haired woman glanced briefly but didn't slow her pace, "I mean you don't have to tell me if you don't want to", Clara bit her lip slightly, "but you know, just curious".

There was a brief moment of uncomfortable silence as Clara fretted over The Doctor's response. To her surprise and relief, the Time Lady wasn't annoyed with the question, "Jenny was born on the planet Messaline in the sixty first century", she began. "There was a war on the planet and new soldiers were created from propagation machines. Someone processed Ten's DNA and out popped a fully formed soldier with Time Lord DNA". She paused in her explained and sighed loudly, "I thought Jenny died that day and it was only recently I ran into her again. You could say that she's my little miracle".

Clara didn't know how to respond to the Doctor's explanation. She suspected there was more to the story than the Time Lady was saying but she wasn't going to push any further. What she could sense from her words was great pride in her daughter, even though she had only known her for a short period of time. "Wow you don't do anything by halves", Clara eventually stated.

"You thought she was the product of a liaison, didn't you", The Doctor's words weren't accusing, more humorous, "human and Time Lord DNA doesn't mix". She giggled and gave a little shrug, "Not that it stopped me from trying".

"Doctor", Clara cried, scandalised by the unexpected tone from the Time Lady. The Doctor merely turned around and gave her a little wink and carried on walking. Clara was still getting used to the concept of regeneration but she really couldn't imagine the previous Doctor coming out with something like that. Not that Clara didn't like The Doctor's words, it gave her a more human side than the bow tie wearing man. This Doctor was still definitely alien but maybe she could tolerate the emotional rollercoaster of this women if more of their conversations were as relaxed as this. It felt like she was talking to one of her friends down the pub, not an alien inside her time machine.

"Damn it", The Doctor slapped her forehead and stopped in her tracks, "I forgot the final ingredient for our meal". She grasped Clara arm and pulled her down the corridor, "Just wait in the kitchen, I'll be back in a moment".

Clara didn't have time to argue as the Time Lady pushed her inside. She looked around and found herself in the largest kitchen she had ever seen. It was pristine, gleaming white walls and spotless stainless steel surfaces. In the far end of the room were a couple of large pots on top of a stove. Standing with her back to her was a average sized red haired woman. She was humming a tune and stirring the pots at the same time. On top of one of the counters sat a dark blue leather jacket that Clara assumed belonged to the woman

The school teacher crept closer, she didn't know anything about the alien cuisine she would be eating tonight so she didn't want to disturb the woman from cooking. The red head dipped her finger into the pot and tasted the fruits of her labour. Still with her finger in her mouth she turned around and jumped at the sight of the brunette, "Clara", she cried, "you scared the life out of me".

"Sorry didn't want to interrupt", Clara apologised, "you must be Jenny", she gingerly held out her hand.

"Hey you're one of Mum's companions", Jenny enthusiastically threw her hands around Clara, "there's no hand shaking between us".

To say Clara was surprised by the greeting was an understatement. She had been expecting a frosty greeting after their less than civil meeting a few days ago. Clara was also surprised by the strength of the skinny red head and soon found herself struggling for air, "Thanks", she choked out, "not to ruin the moment but could you ease up a little, my ribs would really appreciate it".

Jenny almost immediately released the woman, "Sorry, still don't know my own strength". The pair fell into an uncomfortable silence, from Clara's perspective the red haired Time Lady wasn't what she was expecting. On the other side Jenny was concerned that she had come on too strongly. The younger Time Lady kicked idly at the floor, trying to find a conversation starter, "I like your boots".

"Thanks", Clara twisted her ankles to show them off a little more, "white converse", she commented on Jenny's choice of footwear, "nice choice".

"Well they were good enough for my Mum when she was that Doctor so why not me", Jenny shrugged, "feels like I'm continuing a tradition".

"I met that Doctor", Clara smiled, "handsome enough face, really skinny though", she held her hands together to emphasise her point.

"Yeah that sums up Ten", Jenny sighed.

Clara hesitated for a moment before asking her next question, "What's it like, having a father who's now your mother?"

For a moment Clara thought she had said something wrong as Jenny took a while to respond. Finally her mouth turned down and she shrugged, "Never really thought about it, they're the same person underneath. Why should it matter what she looks like on the outside?"

Jenny's comments echoed those of The Doctor from a few nights ago. Perhaps she had been looking at this regeneration thing the wrong way. Rather than lamenting the loss of the bow tie wearing Doctor, she should be happy that her friend was still in her life. "Well said", Clara smiled, "now talk me through this food", she walked past Jenny and looking into the pots.

"Oh you're going to love this", Jenny replied enthusiastically, "I had this when I about your age and it was the best thing I've ever tasted".

"Then you haven't experienced the joy of a full English on a Sunday morning", Clara chuckled, "best hangover cure there is". Jenny smiled and pushed the spoon in Clara's direction, allowing her to stir the pot a little more.

Neither of them had noticed that The Doctor had snuck back into the room and was watching the bonding session. Her arms were folded across her chest and there was a devious little smirk on her face. There hadn't been another ingredient needed for the meal, The Doctor just wanted to push Clara and Jenny together and allow them to bond without making it feel like she was influencing them. This was only their first meeting though and this didn't mean that they would be firm friends. But on the surface they were getting along so at least the meal wouldn't be ruined, "Must be getting senile in my old age", she called out from the door, "we didn't need anything after all".

"Really, you don't say", Clara sighed, she had seen right through the Time Lady's charade almost immediately. She waited until The Doctor had reached the stove before wrapping her arms tightly around the woman, "Never did welcome you back properly", she smiled. The Doctor gratefully returned the gesture as an amused Jenny watched on from the side.

Things were cosy inside the TARDIS but outside there was a potential problem developing. Someone was spying on the TARDIS and the occupants inside. A shadowy figure checked his watch and sighed, "nearly an hour, what can she be doing inside a small box for an hour", Danny Pink stated. Something about the woman who introduced herself as The Doctor set alarm bells ringing inside his head. On a whim he had gone to 76 Totters Lane, knowing full well that it was a scrapheap. Once there he noticed Clara stumbling into a blue Police Box only to be caught by this Doctor woman.

Part of him wanted to rush in, fearing that something horrible had happened to Clara. He decided against that though, he was already veering towards stalker territory and if he charged into that box, Clara would never forgive him. There weren't any noises coming out of the box that concerned him so Danny decided to leave well enough alone, for now at least. He slowly backed away from the strange blue box and left the scrapheap.

 _ **A/N -** Finally a step in the right direction for "Team TARDIS". Will it last? Guess there's only one way to find out._

 _Time for a shameless plug, I've recently completed a Doctor Who/Orphan Black crossover entitled "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace", feel free to check that out. I've also posted an Orphan Black/Power Rangers crossover, its the only one on the site so check that out too if you're interested. _


	5. 5: The Supply Teachers

_Chapter 5 –The Supply Teachers  
_

Tuesday morning was a more typically British winter's day. Gone was the crisp sunshine and in its place was dull grey skies and an unrelenting cold drizzle. Clara was relieved to get inside the school building, if only to get some feeling back into her cold fingers. The rest of the meal with The Doctor and Jenny had gone surprisingly smoothly. The alien women filled her in with their adventures they had experienced in her absence. She wasn't too upset that she had missed the creepy Moon Base or the energy sucking shadows. Meeting all the previous Doctor's would've been interesting, if only to see the rest of the mission to save Gallifrey from a different point of view. She was a little disappointed to miss out on the trip to ancient Japan but the older Time Lady assured her that she would make it up to Clara.

One thing Clara did notice was the evasiveness of The Doctor when she asked her what she was doing at the school. The Time Lady repeated her comments about visiting an old friend and didn't say any more on the subject. She knew The Doctor well enough to know when she was hiding something. She just hoped that it didn't involve the school, the last thing she needed was for her life with The Doctor to interfere with her work life.

Clara entered the staff room and was surprised to find it almost full. She felt a little uneasy when every pair of eyes turned towards her, "Morning", she said hesitantly, "did I miss something?"

"Not yet", Danny replied, "Mr Jenkins has called an emergency staff meeting, didn't you get his message last night?"

The brunette swore under her breath, she hadn't gotten home until close to midnight. Once she was back in her flat, all she wanted to do was go to bed. She vaguely recalled seeing a message on her phone but she resolved to read it in the morning. Evidently she had forgotten to look it when she got up, "Oh that message", Clara quickly tried to think of an excuse, "long journey this morning, completely slipped my mind".

"Don't you live half a mile away?" Danny asked, "did you take the scenic route on your walk?"

Silently Clara cursed Danny's ability to recall every conversation they had shared but she was saved by the door opening. She was still near the entrance and was lucky not to get hit with the door, "Oh Miss Oswald", Mr Jenkins cried when he nearly bumped into the brunette, "sorry I didn't see you there".

"Yeah didn't pick the best place to stand", Clara mumbled and positioned herself next to Danny.

Coal Hill Headmaster Adrian Jenkins nodded grateful and closed the door behind him. He was in his late forties with closely cropped silver hair that was spiked up in places. Despite his age he was still in great shape and regularly ran marathons in aid of charity. A pair of thick framed glasses were in his hand, together with a piece of paper, "Thank you for getting here so early", he began, "unfortunately I have some news regarding Mr Brown and Mrs Bowles".

"Did something bad happen to them?" Clara asked quickly. With The Doctor in town he mind instantly went to a bad place.

"Quite the contrary Miss Oswald", Mr Jenkins continued, "I received a call from them last night, apparently they both won the jackpot on the Euromillions lottery at the weekend".

"The hundred million triple rollover draw", one of the other teachers called out from the back, "lucky buggers".

Clara though wasn't in such a celebratory mood, she knew for a fact that neither Mr Brown nor Mrs Bowles did the lottery. Mr Brown in particular was especially scathing about the furore that the press had whipped up about the huge jackpot and had loudly proclaimed that he wasn't entering. Something wasn't adding up, "Unfortunately they both decided not to return to work", Mr Jenkins continued, "fortunately Mr Chesterton has been able to find us a couple of substitutes to cover their lessons until further noticed.

There was a sinking filling in Clara's stomach as Mr Jenkins reached for the door handle. Even before he opened the door, she knew exactly who would be standing there. Her fears were confirmed moments later when the door opened and The Doctor's beaming face poked through, "Morning team", she said brightly. Seconds later Jenny appeared dressed in attire suitable for a PE teacher, a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a warm looking hooded jumper.

"Allow me to introduce Doctor Susan Campbell who will be taking over from Mr Brown in the science department", Mr Jenkins stated, "and Jennifer Smith who will be teaching PE". The two Time Lady's smiled politely and waved but their future colleague weren't looking overly impressed, "Perhaps you could introduce yourselves", the Headteacher suggested.

"Splendid idea", The Doctor began, "as Mr Jenkins said my name is Doctor Susan Campbell, normally I guest lecture at Universities but Ian Chesterton is an old friend of mine and when he mentioned the good fortune of Mr Brown", she gave Clara a knowing smile, "well I just had to help".

Clara rolled her eyes at The Doctor, she knew there was some ulterior motive for her presence at the school yesterday. "My turn I guess, Jenny Smith graduate of the University of Southampton and became good friends with Doctor Campbell here by chance", Clara was sure there was a silent wink between mother and daughter at that moment. "When I heard about the vacancy in the PE department I offered my services. I don't have much teaching experience but I like to think of myself as a good athlete".

"I trust that you'll make Doctor Campbell and Miss Smith feel welcome and offer them any help where needed". Mr Jenkins glanced at the piece of paper in his hand and sighed, "Anyone teaching Year 10's today, please note that Lucy Dickinson and Nicholas Manning will be absent today". His face turned grim as he scrunched the piece of paper in his hand, "Unfortunately we had a call from their parents and neither of them returned home after school yesterday. The Police have been notified and they might be down later today to interview some of their friends".

The assembled teachers murmured to themselves, this was the fourth student of the school to be reported missing since Thursday. The local and national press had picked up on the story yesterday and this morning the staff had to run a gauntlet of photographers and reporters. Mr Jenkins had moved them on, not wanting to distress or alarm any of the students more than they already were. Clara looked across to The Doctor who had a deep frown on her face. The news of the disappearances was obviously news to her as well, "Alright if there's nothing else, enjoy the rest of your day", Mr Jenkins concluded the meeting and quickly left the staff room.

Some of the teacher's began to file out as well, leaving the staff room half empty. Clara was grateful for this, it would give her a chance to question the two Time Lady's without anyone interrupting, "Doctor Campbell, Miss Smith", she called out, "Clara Oswald, English teacher", she pretended to introduce herself.

"Miss Oswald, a pleasure", The Doctor smirked, "I've heard great things about you".

"Alright enough of the acting", Clara replied with a low hiss, "what the hell are you two doing posing as teachers at my school?"

"Well it was either that or caretakers", The Doctor shrugged, "could you see me kicking a mop and bucket around, honestly".

Clara groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I mean why are you here, does it have something to do with the missing students?"

"Honestly Clara I didn't know anyone had gone missing until Mr Jenkins mentioned it", The Doctor replied honestly. "After our meeting at the restaurant, I noticed some peculiar readings surrounding the school. Lots of timelines converge on Coal Hill but I never noticed it until now".

"Little dense if you ask me Mum", Jenny added, "I mean your first human companions were teachers here, Clara works here and even your granddaughter went to school here".

A look of realisation appeared on Clara's face, "Ian Chesterton, he travelled with you?"

The Doctor nodded, "Along with his late wife Barbara, not willingly at first but that's a story for another day". She closed her eyes and reached out to the timelines, "Lots of important events and people are intertwined with his school, it could be nothing", her voice trailed off.

"But it could be something bad?" Clara voiced exactly what the two Time Lady's were thinking.

Before the conversation could continue further, Danny joined the group and offered The Doctor his hand, "Doctor Campbell, this is a surprise", he then turned to Jenny, "we met on Friday didn't we?" The red head's eyes flittered around nervously, "Did you and Doctor Campbell meet at University?"

"Yeah she was my lecturer", Jenny scratched the back of her, hoping that the teacher would cease with this line of questioning. Their cover stories had been hastily put together this morning and wouldn't stand up against heavy scrutiny.

Danny didn't respond for a moment, instead he looked impassively at the two Time Lady's. Doctor Campbell didn't look old enough to have been a lecturer when Jenny was a student. At the most she only looked around ten years older than the red head. To the credit of the pair they didn't look intimidated by the man, if anything they looked a little too calm, "I've covered PE lessons before", Danny continued, "I've got some notes in my desk if you've like to take a look".

"Sure, sounds great", Jenny beamed and opened the door, allowing Danny to leave. The Maths teacher gave The Doctor one final suspicious look before leading Jenny away to his classroom.

"I don't think your boyfriend likes me", The Doctor shrugged.

"He's not my boyfriend", Clara replied with a groan, "he's very observant, if you want to keep up this charade then you'd better be careful".

The Doctor snorted, "Please I've been doing this for hundreds of years, I know how to blend in". A loud pinging noise emanated from the pocket of The Doctor's beige trench coat and the Time Lady began to rummage around. Clara sighed as The Doctor's arm disappeared almost up to her arm pit as she reached deep inside. Fortunately no one was looking, otherwise they would've questioned her 'bigger on the inside' pockets. The Doctor cried triumphantly and pulled out a small black box that looked like it had been cobbled together from scrap, "Hmm that's not good", she commented and tapped the box with her finger.

"What's that thing?" Clara asked.

"I'd rather not call it by the name my past self gave it", The Doctor pulled a disgusted face, "sounds too childish and ridiculous". She sighed and twisted one of the knobs, "If you must know it detects anomalies in the barriers of space, time and reality itself".

"So it's a timey-wimey detector?" Clara stated.

The Doctor's shoulders sagged, "Fine it's a timey-wimey detector but call it that in front of me again and the consequences would be most unpleasant". Clara nodded stiffly, not completely sure if the Time Lady was being serious or not, "It's found an unstable pocket of reality in the area but I can't pinpoint its location. Could be ten metres or ten miles away, the detector isn't sensitive enough".

"Doctor answer me honestly", Clara said solemnly, "is this a bad thing". The Doctor fixed Clara with a concerned look, she didn't need words to tell her companion that this was a very bad thing.

At the entrance of the school, Year 9 student Josh Dyson was arriving early for the school day. He was one of the brightest students in his year, even though he wouldn't take his GCSE's for two more years, he was already projected to get top grades. Usually he arrived early to get some extra studying done in the library before anyone else arrived. Josh was tall for his age with long gangly limbs that he would grow in to within a few years. A mop of brown hair blew gently in the breeze as he pulled the door open and stepped into the school.

On his way to the library, he noticed a glow coming from one of the storage cupboards. Initially he didn't think anything of it, perhaps one of the caretakers left the light on. The light began to pulse though which grabbed his attention and he was sure that he could hear noises coming from the other side.

Nervously he placed his hand on the door handle and pulled the cupboard open. The light immediately dimmed but still the voices continued, "Hello", Josh called out, "anyone there?" There was no response but suddenly the light roared back into life. Josh shielded his eyes but he could feel something pulling at his waist, sucking him into the cupboard. Desperately he grabbed at the doorframe to stop himself from getting pulled in, "Help", he called out, "someone help me".

The school was empty though and no one was coming to help Josh. His feet lifted up off the floor and the mysterious pull grew stronger. He clung onto the door frame with all his might but his grip wasn't strong enough. He was pulled into the cupboard and disappeared in a flash of light. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving no evidence that he was ever there.

 _ **A/N –**_ _The Doctor as a teacher, yeah that's going to end well. Next time the Time Lady has an encounter with Courtney Woods as I drag up memories of secondary school science._


	6. 5: Its All About Chemistry

_Chapter 6 – It's All About Chemistry_

The ringing of the school bell echoed throughout the corridors of Coal Hill Secondary School, indicating to students and teachers alike that the lunch break was over. The Doctor leaned back in her chair, reflecting on this morning's classes. Not to boast but she felt they had gone quite well. Certainly the students seemed to be excited and properly engaged during her lessons. Even though this was just a cover, she found herself enjoying teaching. Maybe if her life had taken a different direction she would've become a teacher herself. She could almost picture it now, standing in front of a room full of young Time Lords and Ladies underneath the red sky of Gallifrey imparting her knowledge and wisdom. Maybe if she ever found her home planet this daydream could become a reality.

The classroom door flung open and her pleasant dream was shattered by the arrival of her Year 10 science class. The thirty or so students sullenly took their seats and stared at the Time Lady. Suddenly The Doctor realised why her earlier classes had gone so well, she had only taught the younger Year 7 classes so far. They weren't a bunch of overbearing and over emotional teenagers. She stood up and swallowed her nerves, she had faced down an Dalek army and lived to tell the tale. She wouldn't be defeated by a group of teenaged humans, "Afternoon class, my name is Doctor Campbell and I will be taking over from Mr Brown for the rest of the year". There was no reaction from the class either way, they just stared back blankly. The Doctor resisted the urge to scan them for signs of Plutonian Brain Rot and calmly took the register.

Thirty one monotone responses later, The Doctor was ready to start the lesson. Taking a board marker, she wrote the word 'Chemistry' in big letters across the white board, "From the notes Mr Brown left behind, I understand that you were studying the periodic table", she stated. The Doctor bent down and reached into her desk, pulling out a large glass container full of water, "Two atoms of hydrogen bonded together with one of oxygen", the Time Lady continued, putting the container down on her desk. "More commonly known on this planet as water, the lifeblood of yours and many other civilisations in the universe", she caught herself and quickly added, "I suspect".

"We know what water is", a snarky voice called out. The Doctor noticed that the culprit was a dark skinned girl with frizzy dark hair. Clara had warned her about this particular student, she was the one that nearly caused her companion to give up on the teaching profession.

The Doctor turned her glare on the student, fixing her with a frosty stare, "Courtney Woods I'm guessing, I've heard a lot of things about you".

"All good I hope", Courtney replied with a sweet smile on her face.

"No not really", The Doctor said bluntly with a small sniff, drawing a gentle chuckle from the rest of the class. Courtney looked taken aback with the tone of the voice and her mouth flapped open a couple of times, "We're going to start with the Group One metals on the periodic table, also known as the alkali metals", she continued with her lecture like nothing had happened. "Unlike other metals, the alkali metals have a soft structure and are highly reactive".

"Please this is straight out the book", Courtney had found her voice again, "I bet your degree came in the post one day".

The Doctor clenched her fists, suppressing her annoyance with this child. She was a two thousand year old Time Lady and she was getting verbal abuse from this child. She turned to face Courtney and with a smile on her face replied, "Trust me Courtney I've got degrees from some of the most prestigious institutes in the world". A small staring contest began between the two, if she wasn't so annoyed with the child The Doctor would praise her for not backing down, "Probably more prestigious than the places you'll end up in after finishing school", she added.

"I'll have you know that I'm on course to get into Parkhurst", Courtney said proudly.

"The prison?" The Doctor looked the girl over, ignoring the loud laughter from the other students, "that I could believe". She turned away from a fuming Courtney and continued her lecture, "Going down the periodic table we have Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Caesium and finally Francium". She clapped her hands together and pointed at the glass bowl of water, "What I'm going to demonstrate is the reactivity of the group one metals using this container of water".

Reaching into her white lab coat she pulled out a small plastic container holding a silver coloured metal. Using a scalpel she cut off a small piece and dropped it into the water. The metal gently fizzed around in the water, moving slowly towards the edge until the reaction petered out, "Lithium ladies and gentlemen, the least reactive of the alkali metals. The further down the periodic table we go, the more reactive the metals get", she pulled out another plastic container and with a small smile added, "as I shall now demonstrate with Sodium".

Like the previous experiment the metal fizzed around but at a much faster pace. At the end of the reaction the piece of Sodium burned with a dull red flame before burning out, "Science in action", The Doctor said cheerfully, "isn't it amazing".

Most the class seemed to be getting into The Doctor's class, however, there's always one who had to be different, "No", Courtney snorted, "I've seen this on YouTube hundreds of times, so boring".

The Time Lady groaned and sat down on her desk with a loud crash, jolting a few student awake at the back of the class, "Courtney you're smart", she considered her statement for a moment and shook her head, "well you've got a smart mouth anyway I remain to be convinced by your level of intelligence". There was a sharp intake of breath from the class, they couldn't remember any teacher speaking to a student like that, "If you're so smart perhaps you could tell your classmates how Potassium will react with water". She shook the plastic container that held a small amount of the element.

Courtney though was in no mood to participate in The Doctor's class, "I refuse to do anything you tell me anymore", she declared.

"Yeah because you've been so co-operative and well behaved so far", The Doctor snorted, "I think you must be one of the worst human beings I've ever encountered", her temper was beginning to rise to uncontrollable levels, "and trust me I've encountered some real pudding brains in my life".

The unruly student stood up, her chair scraping loudly on the floor, "You can't speak to me like that", she said obnoxiously, "I'll tell the Head Teacher about you're appalling teaching skill then I'll go straight home and blog about this entire lesson". Unimpressed The Doctor looked down her nose at the child, "By this time tomorrow you won't be able to teach in the Greater London area".

Silence descended on the room, wondering what the next act would be in this battle of wills between student and supply teacher. The Doctor calmly stood up and slowly walked over towards Courtney, who stood with a smug look on her face. Everyone was so focused on the Time Lady's face that no one saw her casually drop a large piece of Potassium into the water bowl.

She was still mid stride when the metal exploded with a loud pop and flash of sparks. Water shot into the air and soaked the Time Lady's desk and even the front row of students. There was a loud commotion in the class but The Doctor didn't even flinch, "Potassium, atomic number 19, chemical symbol K. Discovered by Humphry Davy in 1807, nice guy, talked a lot, had a cat called Mittens". She stopped at Courtney's desk and placed her hands on the surface, leaning casually towards the girl, "Reacts so violently that it explode on contact with water, best handle it carefully", she smiled sweetly at the girl.

A quiet hush had descended on the classroom again, The Doctor was glaring angrily at Courtney and in return the girl was looking a little weak at the knees, "Chemistry is a marvellous thing, it can be used to create almost everything". A dark look shot across her face, it was so stormy that Courtney dropped back into her seat instantly, "It can also be used to destroy, funny thing about the human body is that it's basically a series of atoms held together with molecular bonds. Break the bonds and well", she chuckled to herself, "you can guess what happens next". She leaned a little closer to Courtney and added with a hushed whisper, "So you'd better be careful who you annoy in the future, it could be a chemist".

Suddenly the room shook violently and the lights began to flicker on and off rapidly. The detector in The Doctor's lab coat began to chime wildly and loudly. Completely forgetting about her class, she pulled out the device and began to inspect it closely, "No no no, that's not possible", she cried loudly. She ran over to the window and looked outside where Jenny was teaching her PE class on the school playground. The students had stopped playing netball and were looking terrified. Jenny's eyes though were focused solely on her mother's classroom. The Doctor jerked her head, indicating that Jenny should get inside immediately. The red head nodded and sprinted for the door as fast as she could.

"Doctor Campbell", one of the other students called out, "what's happening?" The shaking as subsided slightly but there was now a bright light show happening all around the school.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you", The Doctor snapped, "everyone needs to get out of here as fast as you can". When the class didn't move, she walked over the fire alarm and smashed the glass, "Come on you lot allons-y, this is life and death", she cried. If her aim was to keep the group of teenagers calm she failed miserably. They ran out of the room as fast as they could, although Courtney couldn't resist giving the raven haired woman one last glare. The Time Lady ran her hand down her face and groaned loudly, perhaps she wasn't suitable teacher material after all.

Stepping outside her classroom, the fire alarm was blaring loudly and students and teachers alike were making their way towards the exits. The overhead lights continued to flicker wildly and there was an anxious murmuring echoing throughout the narrow corridors. Fighting against the crowd, The Doctor noticed Clara and an out of breath Jenny coming her way. The only actual teacher amongst them stood in front of the Time Lady with one hand on her hip, "Please tell me you know what's going on".

The Doctor held up her hands, "Firstly you were completely right about Courtney Woods, such a beastly child. Seriously I've met mutant slime with more manners than her".

"Doctor focus", Clara snapped her fingers in front of her face, "the light show, the tremors, tell me know what's going on?"

The Time Lady took a deep breath, "Alright but you're not going to like it", she began, "Coal Hill has become a temporal nexus due to the presence of so many people important to fabric of time and space, mostly me but I don't want to boast".

"Yeah cause you never do that", Jenny mumbled under her breath.

"I'll pretend you didn't say that, shame I can't put you into detention", The Doctor shook her head and went back to her explanation, "back in the old days the Time Lords would recognise a temporal nexus and shore up the reality barriers before any long term damage could be caused but this one appears to have been missed".

"Or developed after the Time War", Jenny added, "that's possible too, right?"

"Maybe", The Doctor sighed, "the Time War caused so much damage that even if a planet wasn't directly affected, it could still feel the terrible aftershocks".

Clara slowly raised her hand, "Sorry for being a human and possibly a little dense but could you explain this in English please".

The two Time Lady's looked at each other before The Doctor continued, "The barrier between this reality and another is collapsing and something is trying to get through. Unless we can shore up the nexus then the very fabric of reality could disintegrate and life throughout the universe could cease to exist".

Clara nodded slowly, allowing that information to sink in, "It's never something pleasant is it? For once I'd like it to be a happy invasion".

"Oh Clara I've been telling myself the same thing for two thousand years", a bright smile appeared on her face, "but that would be dull wouldn't it". Jenny and Clara smiled in agreement, "Who feels like saving all of reality?" She took off at a run towards the exit with Jenny and Clara close behind. They needed to get back to the TARDIS in Totters Lane as quickly as possible

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	7. 5: Hungry Like The Wolf

_Chapter 7 – Hungry Like The Wolf_

Coal Hill Secondary School had almost a thousand students on its register. All of them were scrambling for their lives through the corridors and out into the playground. There was no sense of decorum of order to the evacuation. The teachers were trying their best to keep everyone calm but they too feared for their lives. The ground tremors were getting worse and the sky crackled with lightning as the fabric of reality cracked around them.

Outside one student, a small boy in his first year, was knocked over by the rushing crowd. Despite his pleads for help everyone behind stepped over the boy without stopping or even looking behind them. The youngster curled himself into a ball to stop himself from getting trampled by the hoard, his eyes watering with fear. Suddenly a pair of strong arms lifted him to his feet, "Don't worry Callum, I've got you", Danny said to the boy.

"Thank you Mr Pink", the boy sniffed, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his blazer.

"Go on, keeping running and don't stop until you're through the gate", Danny gave the boy a firm nudge, pushing him back into the crowd. The Maths teacher stood still against the oncoming tide of people, hoping to force a break in the crowd. He looked up into the sky as the light show continued around him. Instantly he was transported back to the deserts of Iraq, the constant flashes reminding him of mortar blasts during his time with the Army. He took a couple of deep breathes in an attempt to calm his nerves but a face kept drifting into his consciousness. It was the face of a young man that would haunt him until his dying day.

He was snapped back to reality when he noticed Clara at the entrance to the school building. She was standing next to the two new teachers, Jenny Smith and Doctor Campbell. He was surprised to see that the three of them looked strangely calm, almost like they knew what was going on. Either that or they had experienced something like this before. He frowned and pushed himself against the tide of students, something about the two new teachers didn't feel right and he didn't want Clara to get hurt because of them.

As he got closer he noticed that Doctor Campbell had ditched her lab coat and replaced it was the same velvet jacket she was wearing on their first meeting. She was also holding a small electronic box that looked to have been cobbled together with pieces of scrap. Perhaps that's what they were doing in that scrap heap yesterday. Quite what the device did, Danny had absolutely no idea. He was even more perplexed when Miss Smith lunged into Doctor Campbell's jacket pocket and pulled out a small metal tube. The red haired teacher pushed a button and a bright magenta light was emitting from the tip, coupled with a high pitched whirring noise. The woman's eyes widened and she shouted, "Quickly, we have to stop them", and sprinted in the direction of the school gate. To Danny's surprise Doctor Campbell and Clara quickly set off in pursuit.

At the main gate Mr Jenkins was trying his best to organise the final evacuation. He was stopping the crowd just short of the gate, taking their names and sending them through one at a time. Assisting him with the task was one of the school Deputy Head Teachers, David Dickie. Mr Dickie was a few years older than the current Head Teacher. He was a tall, skinny man with dark hair, expect for a few grey patches around his temples. He was feared amongst the students, he was known as a strict disciplinarian who gave out detentions like they were sweets. As Mr Jenkins send the next student towards the gate, a girl with dark blonde hair in Year 10, Jenny suddenly grabbed her and forcefully pulled her back. The girl tumbled to the ground and rubbed her arm where the Time Lady had grabbed her, "Miss Smith", Mr Jenkins bristled, "what's the meaning of this?"

"You can't send anyone else through the gate", Jenny cried, "if anyone's passes through that gate they'll die".

"What a load of nonsense", Mr Dickie snorted, "you're endangering the lives of everyone here girl, so stand aside".

Jenny glared spitefully at the man and held her ground, "Don't call me a girl", she hissed, "I'm trying to help you".

"You should listen to her", The Doctor added. She now had the sonic screwdriver back in her hand and was inspecting it closely, "This school had been encircled by a positronic field by the Time Vortex itself. Think of it like a dome", she cupped her hands together to emphasise her point, "the Vortex knows that reality is unstable here and is trying to protect everything else in existence by quarantining the problem". She looked up to the sky, the lightning had eased slightly, "Ultimately it won't work but it will buy us time".

Head Teacher and Deputy Head looked at each other blankly, confused yet horrified by the Time Lady's words, "Look here Doctor Campbell, when I hired you I was warned about your eccentricities by Mr Chesterton but this is taking things too far".

By now Danny had caught up to the trio and as standing just behind Clara. He was just in time to hear The Doctor cry, "Humans, why do I need to spell everything out to them". She started rummaging in her pockets, eventually pulling out a small bag containing some sweets. To everyone's surprise she took a bite out of a Jelly Baby before promptly spitting it back out, "Never knew Jelly Babies could go off", she grumbled, looking into the bag with disappointment, "what a waste, then again I probably should've thrown them out centuries ago".

"Doctor", Clara hissed with a quiet tone, "focus".

"Hmm, oh right yes", she smiled at Clara, "knew there was a reason I liked you Clara Oswald". Dropping the bag of sweets to the floor, The Doctor reached into her pockets again and this time retrieved an apple. She tossed it in her hands a couple of times before throwing it straight at the gate. The fruit struck an invisible barrier and was instantly shredded into thousands of pieces, "If you cross that line, that will happen to you", the Time Lady warned, "the turbulence of the Time Vortex will tear to apart like an industrial sized fan".

Almost instantly the student body began to back away from the gate, a fearful murmuring began to echo amongst the remaining pupils. One person who didn't share their fear was Mr Dickie, "Doctor Campbell I have no idea what game you're trying to play but I will not have you jeopardising our safety for your own amusement".

The Doctor snorted, "This is not a game you small minded little man, we're trying to keep you safe", she stated with as much authority as she could manage.

"There is nothing stopping us from leaving", he roared, "as I will demonstrate". He took a few purposeful steps towards the gate, giving the Time Lady a sneer in the process.

Jenny was about to move to grab him but her mother grabbed her hand to stop her, "Everyone look away", she ordered, shielding Jenny and Clara's eyes from what was about to happen. Most of the crowd followed her order but those who didn't would've seen Mr Dickie's body torn to shreds by the invisible barrier. It only lasted for a couple of seconds but the gruesome sight of a man's body getting disintegrated atom by atom was too horrifying to describe, "You've couldn't have stopped him Jenny", The Doctor sighed, "he was too close and moving too quickly, you would've been pulled in with him". Her daughter gave her a weak smile, trying not to feel too bad that she failed to save someone's life.

A stunned silence fell on the crowd as the realisation that they were trapped suddenly became very clear. Someone needed to take charge of the situation before it descended into chaos, "Do I have everyone's attention now", The Doctor began, "the safest place for everyone is back inside, that barrier could move at any time".

"Excuse me Doctor Campbell", Mr Jenkins interjected, "but this is my school, you can't take over like this".

"Oh yes I can", The Doctor turned her harsh gaze on the man, "I am The Doctor, I'm a two thousand year old Time Lady from the planet Gallifrey. That gives me all the authority I need to stop any more of you apes from walking to their death". She turned back to the crowd of students, "Anyone else have a problem taking orders from me", not a sound could be heard, everyone was too shocked to dare challenge the Time Lady, "thought so", The Doctor hissed.

The remaining students began to shamble back inside, a whisper about aliens popped up in various parts of the crowd. There was still plenty of fear from the group, both Time Lady's could feel it covering the area like a blanket. Feeling the need to do something useful, Jenny turned to Clara, "How many do you think have been left behind?"

Clara did a quick estimate based on what she could see ambling back towards the school building, "Less than half", she continued to scan the crowd, "but not by much, at least four hundred I would say". She took a quick look at the gate and the invisible barrier, "If someone tried to get back in", she vocalised the question neither Time Lady wanted to think about, "will the same thing happen to them?"

"In theory the quarantine process will compel them to stay away", The Doctor replied, "but if they ignored the compulsion then the same thing would happen". She plunged her hands into her pockets and looked to the sky, "Still here Danny", she said without looking, "most people would've been scared away by now".

Danny Pink was still standing near the trio and had gone largely unnoticed until now. He stared at The Doctor with a mixture of fear and awe. He knew there was something suspicious about the woman but this wasn't one of the things he had considered, "An alien", he stated numbly, "a real life honest to God alien?"

"Pleased to meet you properly Danny Pink, without using any aliases", The Doctor bowed to the man, "oh and if you do anything to hurt Clara, I will hunt you down to the end of time itself". The Doctor froze in her sentence as memories of Orson Pink, an apparent future relation to this man came to mind. She had only spent a few minutes in the company of this man but she could tell they shared several common attributes.

"You knew about this?" Danny asked Clara and his fellow teacher gave him a weak smile, "so what does that make you", he turned to Jenny, "The Doctor's sidekick".

Jenny snorted, "Carer would be more appropriate", The Doctor cried indignantly in response, "I'm actually her daughter".

"But you don't even look alike", Danny scratched his head in frustration, "this is getting far too strange for my liking".

"Well you don't have to stick around", The Doctor casually replied, she had already given up on the conversation and was scanning the playground for any further disturbances, "the three of us are more than capable of handling this".

"Doctor", Clara snapped but the Time Lady wasn't paying attention, "sorry about her, she can be a little unpredictable". She slowly reached out and touched Danny on the arm, feeling very relieved when he didn't pull away, "We've got four hundred pupils that need protecting, we could use all the help we could get".

Danny glanced briefly at the two alien women, who were now engaged in a conversation that he barely understood. He wasn't ready to fully trust either of them yet but he had to put that aside for the remaining students and perhaps most importantly, for Clara. He nodded silently and began walking slowly back to the school building. Clara was still beside him and the two Time Lady's were a few paces in front.

When they got to the building, the group was surprised to find the young girl that Jenny had saved from walking into the barrier. She was still cradling her arm from the fall she had taken, "Hey", she greeting them quietly, "I just wanted to thank you for saving me, if you hadn't done that I would've ended up like...", her voice trailed off as memories of Mr Dickie's death returned.

"It was the least I could do for the school's star Netball player", Jenny replied, "I should properly introduce you to my mother", she pointed at the dark haired woman, "Doctor, this is Rosie Harman".

"Rosie", a misty eyed Doctor replied, "good name, reminds me of someone I knew a very long time ago. If you're anything like her then you're going to grow up to be a very special person". Rosie blushed at the praise from the Time Lady, "Let's have a look at that arm". The Doctor scanned the girl's arm with her sonic screwdriver, "Nothing broken but you're going to have a bruise to show all your friends".

The Doctor's examination was stopped by a low growl from the far side of the playground. The group immediately froze, went they found the source of the noise they noticed a creature the likes of which they had never seen before. It had the basic features of wolf, only it was much larger. Standing on all fours it easily towered over the group by several inches. The creature's eyes glowed a vibrant electric blue, contrasting with its dark brown fur. "What the hell is that?" Danny whispered quietly.

"I have no idea", The Doctor replied, "I've never seen anything like it". She began to scan the creature but the whining noise of the sonic screwdriver appeared to annoy it, "I think running would be a good idea right now", she declared as the monster bared it large teeth. Jenny grasped Rosie's hand and dragged her towards the safety of the school building with The Doctor, Clara and Danny very close behind. The creature snarled and charged towards the group with every intention of making one of them his next meal.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 _ **A/N –**_ _True story, I had a teacher at school called David Dickie who basically looked exactly like the guy I described. He was probably my least favourite teacher and very nearly put me off writing for life. Not sure if he was so bad that he warranted death by shredding but it was cathartic for me, killing off his avatar in this chapter._

 _Quick answer to WonderfulWhovian, Coal Hill School is an important part of the Doctor Who universe. It was the school that Susan Foreman attended and where The Doctor's first companions, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, were teachers. There was also a TV story during the Seventh Doctor's era set in and around the school. Throw in "The Impossible Girl" and you've got a fair number of people crucial to The Doctor based in one area...in my opinion anyway._


	8. 5: Tearing A Hole In The World

_Chapter 8 – Tearing A Hole In The World_

Nothing got the adrenaline flowing like running away from danger. If there was one thing The Doctor's companions shared over the years, it was the adrenaline rush they felt when running for their lives. Unfortunately for Clara the danger was far too close to home for her liking. A giant wolf beast was chasing her, Danny, one of her students and the Time Lady's towards her school. If the beast got past them then the lives of the four hundred students inside the building would be lost. It was no wonder that she was running faster than she had done in her life.

With every step they could feel the creature closing in on them. The rapid thud of heavy footsteps beat a depressing rhythm and Clara swore that she could feel the beast's hot breath on the back of her neck. Approaching the door, Jenny pushed Rosie inside and quickly bundled Danny through after her. She grabbed one of the heavy metal and glass doors and quickly began to pull it closed. Clara followed her example and took hold of the other door. Without the benefit of the red head's alien biology, she struggled to move it as quickly as Jenny was. She was very happy when Danny grasped hold of the handles and assisted her with the movement.

The Doctor meanwhile had the beast snapping at her coat tails. She narrowly dodged its powerful jaws when the beast made a desperate lunge for the Time Lady. That gave her a couple of extra steps that she needed and dived through the narrow gap between the two doors. Clara, Jenny and Danny slammed them shut behind her and bolted them closed. The creature rammed its head against the frame, destroying the concrete canopy that was above the door. Fortunately the door held firm but only just, it was definitely buckled and wouldn't withstand too much punishment.

Taking a couple of deep breathes, The Doctor pointed her screwdriver at the door, "Shoring up the defences", she said to the others, "I'm increasing the tensile strength of the metal and glass, nothing short of a nuclear explosion will get through that". That didn't stop the beast trying though as it butted its head against the door a couple more times. The vibrations from the blows shook a couple of ceiling tiles loose but the door stood firm. With a final snarl the beast slowly turned around and slowly walked away from the building.

"That was terrifying", Clara gasped as she struggled to regain her breath, "I've never seen anything like that in my life".

"That's because it's not from this dimension", The Doctor picked herself up off the floor and pocketed her screwdriver, "the walls between dimensions is collapsing and that thing", she pointed at the retreating beast, "is just the first of many beasts that could slip through". The older Time Lady took a couple of paces down the corridor, placing her hands behind her head. This was a tricky situation, she was trapped inside a dome with just her wits and her sonic screwdriver. She couldn't summon the TARDIS as the temporal interference was preventing it moving any closer to the school. There were over four hundred people depending on her for a solution and she was feeling the pressure.

"You're broadcasting again mother", Jenny called out, "you're not alone, you've got us to help you".

The Doctor nodded gratefully, "Thank you", she clapped her hands together, "first thing we need to do is get you somewhere safe", she said to Rosie.

"No way", the teen replied defiantly, "you're the best people to get me out of here alive. I'm sticking as close to you as possible".

The Time Lady stared back at the girl but she could tell by the look in her eye that she wasn't going to be dissuaded. Sighing loudly, she waved her hand a couple of times, "Fine but you do exactly what Clara, Jenny and I tell you, understood?" Rosie gulped and nodded slowly, "Excellent, now follow me everyone".

The group hustled after The Doctor, struggling to keep up with her brisk pace. Clara and Danny were bringing up the rear with the Maths teacher looking especially uncomfortable, "You doing alright there Danny?" Clara asked brightly.

"Yeah, it's just a lot to take in", he sighed, "aliens, beasts from another dimension", he shook his head, "and I thought the hardest thing I'd have to face today was my Year 11 class".

"Typical Tuesday for me", Clara said casually. She watched The Doctor pause at an intersection, debate about which direction to take before setting off decisively in one direction.

"It must be a fascinating story", Danny began, "how you met a bossy alien and her daughter".

Clara smiled at the question, she wasn't sure how much she should tell Danny about her history with The Doctor. He was struggling with the concept of aliens so how would he cope with idea of time travel. Discussing regeneration was also off limits. She could just image how that conversation would go, 'When I met The Doctor he was a bloke and now he isn't'. Danny would probably call the nearest mental hospital and have her committed, "She just dropped in one day", she eventually replied, "the daughter's a new addition", she shrugged.

The Maths teacher wasn't fully convinced by that response but he decided against pursuing that line of conversation. He took a quick look around and noticed they were now approaching the art department. A little confused why the Time Lady had led them down here he turned to Clara and whispered, "Does she know where she's going?"

"Probably not", Clara snorted, "but it's amusing to watch". She allowed them to walk on for a few more seconds until she called out, "Doctor, what are we looking for?"

"I need something to break through the protective bubble", The Doctor replied without turning around, "if I can punch a hole in the bubble then we can try and get some more people out". She paused at a set of doors, "And what I need should be behind this door".

The Doctor pushed the doors open with her flourish but her face fell when she saw the room. It was an ordinary art classroom, complete with abandoned charcoal drawings that had been left behind when the evacuation began. "Well I knew Earth's technology was a little backwards but this is the most disappointing IT department I've ever seen". The Doctor knew she had taken a wrong turning but her pride prevented her from admitting it to her entourage.

There was some sniggering from the humans in the room and a mere roll of the eyes from Jenny, "Erm Doctor", Rosie began, "this is the art department, the computer room's are back the other way". The Time Lady looked sheepish for a brief moment before walking confidently out the room, leaving the rest of her entourage to follow behind again.

Finally reaching their intended destination, The Doctor switched on one of the computer and grasped hold of Clara's hand, "Here, sit here", she order her companion, firmly seating her at the desk.

"A please would've been nice", Clara grumbled as she waited for the computer to boot up, "I don't know what you expect me to do anyway".

"You've still got your hacking skills from the time you got uploaded to the datacloud, right?" The Doctor asked. Clara nodded hesitantly, it wasn't a skill she had used much since that day but she was sure it was still in there somewhere, "Excellent you just need to hack into the UNIT server, I should have some old research files stored on there".

"Hang on", Danny interrupted, "you used to work for UNIT?"

"Back in the seventies yes", The Doctor, "mind you I was a different person back then, which reminds me I should Bessie a run out. The old girl hasn't been fired up in about fourteen hundred years".

"You weren't kidding about being two thousand years old then?" Rosie asked with awe.

The Doctor smile, "A woman never jokes about her age", moments later a UNIT logo appeared on the screen, "Ah there we go, everything we need should be in the Priority Nine folder".

"If you know where to find the information, why am I hacking into UNIT?" Clara asked without taking her eyes off the screen.

The older Time Lady straightened her jacket, "I've forgotten my password", she huffed, "and I really despise those call centre helpdesks".

For the next few minutes the only sound from the room was the gentle tapping of keys as Clara's fingers zipped across the keyboard. With nothing to do Danny and Rosie paced nervously in the corner of the room. The teen bit her finger nails, an old habit she thought she had grown out of, whilst wondering if she had made the right decision by following these aliens. Danny meanwhile was discovering more about Clara with each passing second. Prior to today he thought that she was a bit of a technophobe but apparently she had the skills of a master hacker. He wanted to ask her what incident The Doctor was referring to when he mentions the datacloud. Instead he chose to remain silent, he probably wouldn't like the answer anyway.

Clara smacked the enter key triumphantly and a stream of data appeared on screen, "Chalk that up as another Os-win", she grinned. The data suddenly changed to a series of circular patterns rather than numbers, "Huh, maybe the data's become corrupted over the years".

"That's Gallifreyian", Jenny pointed at the patterns. She had only just begun to learn the language of her ancestors so she didn't fully understand what the patterns meant.

"You didn't think I would leave information on UNIT's servers without protecting it in some way", The Doctor smirked, "I respected the Brigadier but at the end of the day he was still a soldier". She gazed at the data, this had been the first time she had laid eyes on it for hundreds of years.

"So what is this", Clara asked, "some kind of special communication technique".

"Not quite", the older Time Lady replied, "back when velvet and frills was exiled on Earth, he tried experimenting with dimensional travel by tearing a small hole in reality. The theory was that he could move from one place to another simply by stepping through".

From the rear of the room Rosie snorted loudly, "Sounds pretty dangerous".

"Oh and it was", The Doctor sighed, "I was young, reckless and desperate to get back out into the universe.". She looked at the data with a frown and began to adjust some setting on her screwdriver, "Fortunately it never worked, who knows what kind of trouble I would've caused".

"Yeah cause you keep your nose out of trouble now", Clara chuckled.

"Oh hush you", the older Time Lady swatted her on the shoulder, "I'm being clever here and I need to fully concentrate". Looking around the room she picked up another computer and pulled the cover off. Ignoring the cried of disproval from Danny for destroying school property, she began to rewire the circuitry. Satisfied with her work The Doctor then found her universal cable, pulled one end into the computer and the other into her screwdriver, "Right, here goes", and with a deep breath she activated her screwdriver.

The second the screwdriver whirred into life, a small column of light appeared in the room. It looked like a tear in a piece of fabric and it was slowly growing, "Mum is that meant to happen?" Jenny asked nervously.

The Doctor didn't reply, instead she began to frantically twist the settings on the screwdriver, "It's drawing too much energy", she stated, "I'm trying to compensate by setting the transport control for a single journey but the output co-ordinates are fluctuating".

"Erm Doctor", Clara cried in alarm as any loose objects in the room began to fly towards the portal, "maybe you should shut that down".

"I wish I could but it's running out of control", the older Time Lady had to shout as the sound of rushing wind began to emanate from the tear. Suddenly Clara's chair began to a move towards the tear, drawing a cry of panic from the teacher. Danny moved quickly to grab hold of the chair, using his other hand to grasp the desk. Rosie wasn't so lucky, the teen was pulled off her feet and began to skid across the carpet towards the portal. Thinking quickly Jenny dropped to the floor and grabbed the girl by the legs. It stopped her movement momentarily but the gravitational pull from the tear was increasing with every second.

The Doctor watched the scene unfold with horror as people under her protection were in danger of getting sucked into an unknown part of the galaxy. The portal was so unstable they could end up half a mile away or half a light year, she had no way of telling. The reaction was so unstable that there was only one way to shut it down, someone needed to do through. She looked down and noticed that Jenny was close to losing her grip on young Rosie. The Doctor instantly flashed back to a similar incident with a similarly named girl. Taking a deep breath, the older Time Lady prepared to release her grip on the desk, "Mum, don't", Jenny cried over the wind noise. She knew exactly what The Doctor planned on doing.

"I'm sorry Jenny", she called out, "you need to finish what I've started". Without hesitation she let go of the desk and was sucked into the portal. It closed behind her with a flash of light. A shocked silence fell on the room as the computer sparked and burned out. Numbly Jenny stood up and retrieved the screwdriver before any long term damage could be caused. She tried to check where the portal had sent her mother but that information hadn't been stored. The Doctor had vanished and all hope of saving everyone in the school suddenly rested on her young shoulders. Jenny looked at the shocked faces of the others, she never felt more scared in her life.

 **END EPISODE 5 – TO BE CONTINUED**

 _ **A/N -** Yeah I'm cruel aren't I. The next chapter will be up in about a week so not too long to wait. There's a poll on my profile page relating to Danny, basically I'm going my loyal readers a choice. Does Danny die like in the actual series or do you want him to live? Cast your votes and you'll see his fate around Episode 11 or 12. _


	9. Episode 6: The Otherside

_Episode 6 – The Otherside_

 _Chapter 1_

David Dickie woke with a sudden start, drawing a few sharp, deep breathes. Instinctively he looked down at his body, patting it down a couple of times. Slowly a few memories began to return to him, standing in a playground as Coal Hill School was evacuated, speaking with someone he knew as Doctor Susan Campbell or The Doctor as she insisted on being addressed. He remembered that she declared herself as an alien and forbade him from leaving the school grounds. After that there was nothing, his memory was a blank until he woke up here. Wherever here was.

Looking around Mr Dickie found himself in a rather drab looking office. The walls were dull and grey and a small overhead lamp provided the only illumination. There was enough room for a desk, a couple of chairs and a filing cabinet. The man was seated a one of the chairs with the other on the opposite side of the desk. There were no papers on the desk to give the Deputy Head Teacher any clue to his current location. Straight ahead was a window but it was shielded by a shutter blind. He was about to stand up to take a look outside when a robotic female voice called out, "Thank you for your patience, one of our advisors will be with you shortly". Mr Dickie looked around, there was no door to the room and no obvious sound system that could've been used to broadcast the message.

"Sorry for the wait", Mr Dickie jumped out of his skin, a man had suddenly appeared in the room. How he had done this the teacher wasn't sure, there was no opening anywhere in the small space, "Had a sudden rush, terrible business", the man added solemnly, "my name's Sebastian and I will be your primary contact during the adjustment period", he continued with a brighter tone.

"Where am I?" Mr Dickie said harshly, "why am I being held prisoner here?"

"Prisoner?" Sebastian chuckled, "that's a new one. I'll have to tell the girls in the office that one, it'll have them in hysterics". A small tablet appeared in Sebastian's hand, "Now then David Dickie, home era Twenty First century Earth, cause of death", he paused and a look of disgust appeared on his face, "well that's just nasty but on the bright side you won't have to buy a coffin. I do pity the council though, they'll be scraping pieces of you up for months".

Mr Dickie looked horrified. He couldn't be dead, he certainly felt very alive. That's when the memory hit him, walking out the school gate against the advice of The Doctor only to be torn apart by an unknown force, "Post mortem amnesia", Sebastian sighed, "happens sometimes in cases of violent trauma". The suited man tapped on his tablet a couple of times, "Now we've got a couple of lovely condo's that have just become available in the North Eastern quarter. It's in the musician sector, I hear that Hendrix and Mozart throw the best parties". He chuckled to himself, "There was this one party, gave us a headache trying to clean up afterwards let me tell you. Quite where Kurt Cobain found that inflatable banana I'll never know".

"Stop", the former school teacher cried, clutching his hands against his head, "this is too much".

Sebastian snorted, "That's what Elvis told them, didn't stop him from doing vodka jelly shots though". He swiped his finger on the surface of the tablet, "If that's too rowdy there's a spot in author's corner but watch out for Mary Shelley, she's a little", Sebastian gripped his fingers together, "grabby, if you catch my drift". Mr Dickie placed his head in his hands, this was all too much for him to take in, "Ah, still trying to adjust", the advisor began, "don't worry our adjustment spa will help you relax whilst you make a decision. Choosing who to live near for all eternity is a decision that shouldn't be rushed".

"Please", Mr Dickie groaned, "just tell me where I am?"

"I thought it would be obvious" Sebastian clapped his hands together and the blinds opened. A bright light flooded in, leaving the school teacher in awe, "David Dickie, welcome to Heaven". It wasn't how Mr Dickie imagined Heaven but even so, it was the most fantastic sight he had ever seen. Sebastian slid the tablet across the table towards the man, "Just tap the surface and you'll be transported directly to the spa". Numbly the former teacher took the device and after taking in the view for a couple more seconds, tapped the screen firmly. He disappeared in a flash, leaving Sebastian alone.

With Mr Dickie gone, Sebastian reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a mobile phone. He dialled a number and waited for the response, "Safely secured, another one of The Doctor's failures has been located". He chuckled to himself, "People still can't work out that they're in Heaven, do you think I should lead with that line in future?" There was no response and when Sebastian looked at his phone, he saw that the call had been disconnected, "You don't care, right". He stood up and looked out the window, it was nearly time for the leader's plan to be put into operation.

Back on Earth the temporal containment field still stood firmly in place over Coal Hill School. Looking out the window of the IT classroom Rosie Harmon could see three more giant wolf creatures roaming the grounds of the school. So far none of them had attempted to gain entry to the building but it was only a matter of time until they tried, "They don't seem very bright", the teen commented.

"Maybe they've never seen a school before", Danny commented from the window further down the room. He too was observing the creatures and had initially come to a similar conclusion as Rosie. Closer inspection made him notice similar behaviour from the creatures as he had seen in captured prisoners of war. The wolves were prowling slowly, trying to find out more about their surroundings. They were trying to assess any threats to their safety and more worryingly for everyone inside the school, any possible escape routes. He didn't know much about the Time Vortex and this quarantine that The Doctor talked about but he assumed the creatures were as trapped as they were. It was only a matter of time until they figured this out and started investigating the school.

With a deep sigh of resignation, Rosie turned around but still kept leaning on the window sill. Jenny was still frantically waiving the sonic screwdriver around the room, trying to locate any trace of her mother. She had been doing this for fifteen minutes without any joy. Clara sat on spare desk watching the young Time Lady and chewing nervously on her nails, "Do you think we'll see The Doctor again?" she asked Danny.

The Maths teacher glanced over his shoulder, he could see the defeated body language that Clara was giving off. She knew the alien woman better than he did and the way Clara was reacting didn't fill him with much hope, "I'm sure we will", Danny tried to reassure his student. Rosie didn't look convinced though and returned to watching the creatures outside.

"Jenny, it's been fifteen minutes", Clara said hesitantly, "we can't keep searching forever". This was unknown territory for Clara, saving the world without someone other than The Doctor at her side. Sure she had worked with younger versions of the Time Lady but never her daughter. She liked Jenny but having fun over dinner in the TARDIS was very different from having save hundreds of students from certain death.

"I'm acutely aware of that Clara", Jenny growled back, her soldier side definitely dominating her Time Lady side. She didn't know whether to be upset or furious that her mother was gone. Jenny couldn't even reach out and feel her presence, the interference from the Vortex quarantine shield was blocking any telepathic communication. Deactivating the screwdriver and tucking it into her hooded jumper, she sat on the table opposite Clara and swung her legs aimlessly, "How do you humans cope with this noisy material", she commented. The swinging of her legs rustled from her jogging bottoms, "It's interrupting my thought process".

"You really are The Doctor's daughter aren't you", Clara snorted, "when she's stressed she liked to insult humanity as well".

"Yes I am her daughter and try not to forgot it", Jenny snapped, "I'm might not be as experienced but I've still been saving civilisations for nearly ninety years". An uncomfortable silence fell on the entire room, even Rosie and Danny were focused on the argument. Jenny ran her hand through her red hair and sighed, "I'm sorry Clara, my mother's rudeness must be rubbing off on me", she apologised. She started to rummage in her pocket before a look of disappointment appeared, "I'm not wearing my jacket".

"Only just noticed that", Clara joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I keep a lot of useful things in there", Jenny replied, "like something to write with". Moments later the Time Lady noticed something flying in her direction. Grabbing it out the air she realised that it was a board marker that had been thrown by Danny, "Do you have deeper on the inside pockets as well?" she asked the Maths teacher.

"No", he scratched his head, "the Army taught me to be prepared for any situation".

Jenny smiled for the first time since The Doctor had vanished, "There's another thing that soldiers like to do as well", the red head jumped up and ran over to the nearest wall, "and that's strategise".

The Time Lady started drawing an outline of the school on the wall, "Hey the school board's not going to be happy with you vandalising school property", Danny cried.

"They'll probably be even more upset when they find out Mum and I weren't qualified teachers", Jenny shrugged, "might as well add petty vandalism to my list of crimes". She drew a huge circle around her drawing to indicate the Vortex dome, "There are four creatures out there", she drew some crosses on the wall, "and only three proper exits from the main building".

"They'll struggle to get around there", Rosie pointed at one of the scribbled exits, "the alley way is too narrow for them to squeeze down which is why it's used as the smoking area". The two teachers looked disapprovingly at the girl, "I don't smoke but that's common knowledge right?"

"Us teachers aren't as oblivious as you youngster's think Rosie", Clara replied, "we're not that much older than you".

"Old enough though", Rosie smirked, drawing a cry of indignation from the teachers.

Jenny continued to draw on her map, that only left one major weak spot in the building, "We need to shore up the East entrance first", she stated, "once we know that they can't get in, we can focus on getting everyone out".

"They must've come through some kind of portal", Clara thought out loud, "that's how things work on TV, big portal appears, something pops out of it".

Slapping her hand against her forehead, Jenny suddenly turned to the teachers, "The missing students", she began, "were they ever seen leaving the school grounds?" Clara and Danny looked at each other before shaking their heads, "There's a weakness between the dimensions inside the school as well", she said happily, "don't you see what this means?"

"Should we?" Clara asked in confusion.

"Your missing students have been sucked into the dimension where those creatures came from", Jenny replied, "I'd bet the TARDIS on it".

The three humans looked at the Time Lady in bemusement, "How is that a good thing?" Rosie asked, "what if they can't breathe the atmosphere over there, or they've been eaten by more of those wolves".

Jenny went to reply but in her excitement she hadn't thought of that, "Yeah", she drew the word out, "but they have hope", she took a deep breath in an attempt to bury any negative thoughts, "just like there's hope for Mum". She wanted to run around in a flap that her mother wasn't there but that would have to wait. Until this crisis had passed she needed to be soldier Jenny and that meant pushing as much concern for The Doctor's safety out of her mind that she could. "Come on, we can't waste anymore time standing around", Jenny ordered the humans, leading them out the room. They had to believe The Doctor was safe, it was one of the few things keeping them going right now.


	10. 6: Rough Landing

_Chapter 2 – Rough Landing_

A sudden flash of light illuminated a darkened alley and a body was deposited roughly onto the concrete floor. Groaning loudly, The Doctor rubbed the back of the head and made a quick mental check of her faculties. She was satisfied that every part of her had made the journey through the portal but travelling that distance without a capsule wasn't good for anyone's health. The Time Lady allowed herself a few moments to catch her breath before sitting up and taking a look around. Wherever she was it was somewhere that didn't believe in public hygiene. The alleyway smelt like everyone used it as a public toilet, it was just as clean as one as well.

Her thoughts instantly went to Jenny and the others trapped in the school. The portal program fundamentally worked, however, they had no control over the exit location. In theory she could get back into the school but it would take time to get everyone out. That was assuming she could figure out what went wrong in her program. There was no point using the technology if it dumped people in various different places across the galaxy. She didn't want to leave Jenny to hold down the fort but she trust that her daughter would be able to handle the situation until she found a way back to Coal Hill.

Suddenly a grim thought flash across her mind and she starting patting down her jacket, "My screwdriver", she groaned. She remembered that she had left her device in the school. The program was stored on the sonic and without it, she had no way of returning. The Doctor rubbed her hands on her face and let out a cry of despair. She was God knows where without her TARDIS or sonic screwdriver and everyone she cared about was stuck in a building that could be sucked into another dimension at any time. If there was a definition of worst case scenario, this was probably it.

Deciding to see exactly where she was, The Doctor dragged herself up from the smelly floor. There was a light at the tunnel and the Time Lady walked slowly toward in that direction. She shielded her eyes from the lights and as her eyes adjusted, the skyline looked a little blurry. Stepping into the light The Doctor suddenly became aware that she wasn't alone. Someone was slowly creeping up behind her and the Time Lady saw a hand stretching out for her shoulder. Spinning around quickly she grabbed the outstretched hand of her attacker and pinned it firmly behind their back. Her assailant was a woman with hair almost as dark as hers. Dressed in a dark, fitted leather jacket and tight jeans, the woman seemed to define the word 'shadowy'.

As the woman struggled against The Doctor's grasp, a familiar voice could be heard calling her name, "Doc, Doc", the man called. Confused the Time Lady looked around and to her surprise, she noticed the familiar man running in her direction, "Let Gwen go", Captain Jack Harkness added.

The Doctor loosen her grip on the woman and slowly turned her around. The annoyed face of Gwen Cooper glared back at her, "Oh, sorry about that Gwen", she said sheepishly, "but you really shouldn't sneak up on people".

"I'll be sure to remember that in future Doctor", the Welshwoman grunted in response. She shook off the Time Lady when she attempted to smooth out her jacket, opting to do it herself.

"What are the remnants of Torchwood doing in this rotten part of the galaxy", The Doctor asked once she had regained her composure, "don't tell me you were sucked into dimensional portal as well".

Jack looked to his partner and then at The Doctor, "Hate to disappoint you Doc but you're still in London".

The Doctor frowned and finally allowed herself to take in her surroundings. The immortal man was right, the dimensional tear had disposed her back into London. Not just any part of the British capital either, she was still in Shoreditch. If she wasn't mistaken they were in the same building site where the TARDIS landed four days ago, "Ah yes", The Doctor snorted, "forgive me for not identifying my location from a urine soaked alley". The Time Lady had experienced her fair share of luck in the last two thousand years but the odds of her falling into a dimensional portal and landing just a mile away from where she left were astronomical. That wasn't the only thing confusing the raven haired woman, "You're both a long way from home", she continued, "what's Torchwood's interest in this grotty patch of land".

"Torchwood doesn't really exist anymore", Gwen replied, "officially anyway. Jack and I still use the name but we're freelance agents now".

"A mere technicality I'm sure", The Doctor snorted, "doesn't really answer my question though".

"We answered a call from an old friend of yours", Jack interjected, "perhaps we can take this meeting somewhere a little quieter and all will be explained".

The Doctor allowed herself to be lead deeper into the building site and towards a wooden hut that was labelled as the site manager's office. The inside of the hut was much different than its unassuming outer appearance. It was actually a small base of operations filled with computers, a large television monitor and a small laboratory. Behind one of the computers was a familiar looking UNIT scientist that the Time Lady had met once before, "D-Doctor", Winifred McQueen stammered, pushing her glasses onto the top of her head, "the disturbance was you?"

"Clearly", The Doctor replied with a raised eyebrow, "a team up between UNIT and Torchwood", she said the last word using air quotes, "this must be much more serious than I thought". She took a couple of strides around the small space, taking in as much detail as possible, "I'm almost insulted that no one called me"

"That would be my fault", the monitor activated, "I thought we could handle this without your assistance".

The Time Lady turned to face the screen and almost instantly a smile appeared on her face, "Sarah Jane", she beamed, "this is turning into a little reunion".

Sarah Jane Smith smiled at her old friend, "It's good to see that the rumours of your survival were true, I like this new regeneration".

"Well you would know, you've seen more of them than anyone else", The Doctor couldn't put her finger on it but something was different about her old companion. She was looking a little skinnier than she remembered and there was a sadness behind her eyes that she wasn't used to seeing, "I'm happy to see you Sarah but there's a major situation at Coal Hill School. Perhaps we can all share what we know and we can formulate a plan from there".

Sarah Jane nodded, "Very well Doctor, about two weeks ago Mr Smith detected some disturbances in the vicinity of Coal Hill. I conducted some preliminary tests but it soon became clear that I needed some help, that's when I put a call into Jack".

"That doesn't sound like you Sarah", The Doctor frowned, "normally you and the kids would like getting your teeth into something like this".

The journalist let out a deep sigh, "Unfortunately my current situation excludes me from getting involved". The Time Lady nodded but sensed there was some hidden meaning behind her words, "Luke and the others aren't really kids anymore Doctor. Apart from Sky all of them are away at University, I can't ask them to take a break from their studies to go monster hunting".

"I dunno, my daughter loves monster hunting with me", there was a gasp of surprise from everyone, "oh yes, I have a daughter now", she added with a shrug, "long story, perhaps we can save that for another day". She immediately turned to Captain Jack, "Don't let me catch you flirting with her Jack".

"I better not get caught then", the immortal replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows. His bravado was immediately shattered by a furious look from the Time Lady. Jack swallowed deeply and quickly changed the subject, "Since Torchwood isn't officially operational, we don't have access to the Hub anymore. Gwen and I were willing to provide the man power but we needed technology".

"We put a call into UNIT but since there was no concrete evidence to suggest there was a problem, Kate was only willing to donate one of her scientists", Gwen finished the story.

"Not a bad person to call upon", The Doctor smiled at Winifred, remembering how helpful she was during their last encounter. The scientist blushed at the praise and desperately tried to conceal her embarrassment with some loose strands of hair. The Time Lady's attention then fell on a device in the corner of the room. Leaving the conversation behind she walked over and began to inspect the contraption, "Is this what I think it is?" she asked in amazement, "have you created your own vortex manipulator?"

The machine took up about half of the desk it sat on and to the untrained eye it was just a jumble of wires, circuit boards and levers. The Doctor though immediate recognised for what it was, "Not quite", Winifred replied, "it can't transport anyone but it can detect activity in the Time Vortex. That's how we detected your arrival".

"But this is brilliant", The Doctor gasped. She grabbed Winifred and immediately planted a firm kiss on her forehead, "You're brilliant, this must've taken you ages to come up with something like this". Despite the scientist's declaration that no one could teleport using this device, it wouldn't take too much modification to make it fully operational.

Winifred blushed again, "Not too long, Captain Jack was kind enough to let me inspect his own manipulator", she answered, "he helped me figure out some of the more complex systems".

"Yes I bet Jack loved helping you out", the Time Lady replied dryly. A few plans began to form in her head but she didn't want to rush into anything just yet. That's what got her into this situation in the first place, "Alright team here's the situation", she began, "Coal Hill has been quarantined by the Vortex itself. Reality is collapsing around the school and if that wasn't bad enough, creatures from another dimension have begun to slip through the gaps. We can't get it via normal methods but with this device", she pointed at Winifred's invention, "we might stand a chance".

"How many people are in danger Doc?" Jack asked the question that none of them wanted to think about.

"Approximately four hundred", she replied, "including Clara and my daughter".

"If she's anything like you then the students are in good hands", Sarah Jane chimed in from the video link, "I just wish I had gotten a chance to meet her", she sighed.

The Time Lady turned her attention to her old companion, "Plenty of time for you to do that Sarah", she smiled.

Sarah Jane didn't reply straight away, instead she offered the Time Lady a weak smile. "I'd better let you four continue planning", she said quickly, "good luck with you mission". Her gaze fell on The Doctor and their eyes held contact for a few moments, "Goodbye Doctor", she added with an air of finality.

The Doctor frowned at her tone of voice, it was almost like Sarah Jane was saying goodbye for the final time, "Goodbye Sarah Jane Smith", she replied, trying to sound as positive as possible. The Time Lady was certain that she noticed the journalist wiping her eye before the link was shut down.

The atmosphere in the room had turned heavy. The Doctor wasn't completely stupid, she knew what a conversation like that usually meant. It pained her to push her former companion aside but the lives of the students were more important. Sarah Jane would want it that way. Clapping her hands together The Doctor declared, "If I can get to the TARDIS, I reckon I could wire Winifred's device into the console. The power of the old girl would allow a stable portal for everyone to escape through".

"What about the walls of reality", Jack asked, "could it also rebuild those enough to make them stable".

The Time Lady looked at the device and thought about this for a moment. It was possible but would the Earth made technology be enough to make the seal permanent, "Its worth a try", she replied. "Since my screwdriver is at the school I'm afraid we're going to have to go the TARDIS the old fashioned way". She opened the door to the office but paused in the gap, "Well don't just stand there", she encouraged the group. Empowered by the Time Lady's words the quartet left the base of operations and venture out into Shoreditch.

 _ **A/N -** The Sarah Jane situation will be picked up in a separate story that I will post once this episode is done. I was going to include it here but it would've spoilt the flow. _

_Don't think I've mentioned this but I'm imagining Kate Beckinsale in the role of Winifred. I've got a range of photos I've source from the internet which I'm using for reference for these characters. I could compile them together on a photo hosting site if anyone's else wants a peek._


	11. 6: The Red & The Black

_Chapter 3 – The Red & The Black_

The faint humming of a sonic screwdriver reverberated down the nearly empty corridor of Coal Hill School. Jenny quickly flashed the device over the east entrance door, making sure not to miss a single inch of the steel and glass structure. Her human assistants were busy dragging some desk out of a nearby classroom to form a makeshift barricade across the corridor. Danny even broke into the caretakers cupboard in an attempt to find something to slow down anything that breached the first two lines of defence. He wheeled a large metal bucket towards the barricade, inside were several paint tins, some liquid polish and a green wire that would normally be used in flowerbeds.

Clara temporarily stopped building the fortress made of desks just as Danny was stretching the wire across the corridor, "Do you think that's going to stop a rampaging creature from another dimension?" she frowned at her fellow teacher.

"I'm sorry, I haven't done this before", he huffed in response, "this kind of stuff works in films so why not now".

The brunette didn't even want to begin to pick the holes in Danny's logic, instead she inspected the other items he had acquired, "Which film did you get this idea from ", she held up a tin of paint, "Home Alone?" she chuckled.

Danny snatched the can away from Clara, "It was either this or the broom", he tipped the contents of the tin out until it covered most of the floor, "even I know that you don't poke giant wolves from another dimension with the end of a broom".

"Alright that's the door sorted", Jenny picked her way through the barricade, stopping to admire Danny's handiwork, "redecorating?" she snorted and pocketed the screwdriver in her hoodie. Danny mumbled something under his breath but didn't respond to the Time Lady's comment. "Now we need to find any potential weak spots within the building", she turned to Rosie, "have you heard of anyone going missing in the last few hours?"

The teen shook her head slowly until a thought began to flash across her brain, "Actually I heard some of the Year 9's talking during lunch, apparently someone didn't turn up for school today". Conveniently there was a few pictures from last years Christmas play on display in the corridor. Rosie quickly scanned the images until she found who she was looking for, "That's him, back row, second from the left".

"Josh Dyson?" Danny stated with a fearful glance towards Clara, "he normally comes in early to study in the library".

"Then that's our next destination", Jenny said to her team, "might be a long shot but maybe there's been some activity in the area".

Everyone agreed and started heading in the direction of the library but not before Danny had retrieved a length of rope out of his metal bucket. Clara frowned at him in confusion, "I bet you were in the Scouts when you were younger".

Danny arranged his fingers into the scout salute, "Looks like my big secrets out", he replied with a smile filled with embarrassment. Despite the gravity of the situation, Clara couldn't help but laugh at the Maths teacher. It was a mocking laugh, Danny was a genuinely funny guy but that tended to disappear when he got nervous. Sadly that was usually quite a lot when he was around Clara. A few days ago she found it slightly annoying but today was a completely different story. If they got out of the school alive, maybe Danny Pink was worth another chance.

The convoy was halted on the corridor leading down to the library when a small group jumped out of a classroom, lead by Head Teacher Jenkins, "Oh Mr Pink, Miss Oswald", he sighed in relief, "we thought that one of those creatures had gotten inside". The Head Teacher was armed with a wooden ruler and behind him were a few Year 11 students, equipped with items stolen out the PE store room.

"I see the students are taking this seriously", Jenny commented. The Year 11 boys had removed their ties and wrapped them around their head like a bandana. One of them had even gone as far smear some black substance across his cheeks like camouflage, "This isn't one of your stupid human action movies", she added with a biting tone. The boy in question looked slightly ashamed with himself and gingerly removed the tie from his head.

Clara stood back and watched the younger Time Lady in action. She was acting completely different to when she first met her back in the TARDIS. It was like she had assumed The Doctor's position as leader, even going as far to mirror the older alien's mannerisms, "Where's The Doctor", Mr Jenkins asked, noting the dark haired woman from the group.

"Not here", was the only answer Jenny chose to give. Instead she scanned the corridor, trying to find any tear in the dimensional barrier. She suddenly paused at a door as the screwdriver started buzzing frantically, "But something else is here", she commented nervously.

"It's the stationery cupboard", Mr Jenkins replied, "nothing in there but pens, paper and the odd stapler".

"There something much bigger in there than a stapler Mr Jenkins", the red head put the screwdriver away again and began looking around for something. Suddenly she noticed one of the students had a hockey stick in his hand. Without hesitation she snatched the stick out of the boys hand, "You need to stand back", she said gravely.

The group of students and adults slowly backed away until they were pressed up against the wall. Jenny took a deep breath and gingerly approached the door. Her hand hesitated a few inches away from the handle as she took a deep breath to settle her nerves. In one swift motion she slammed the handle down and flung the door open. She took a guarded position in front of the door but nothing came out, "Can you see anything?" Rosie whispered, she was hiding behind Clara for her own protection.

Jenny took a couple of steps towards the cupboard and poked some of the shelves with the hockey stick. A pad of paper tumbled to the floor, followed swiftly by several boxes of pencils. They clattered against the floor, startling the group. The Time Lady finally worked up the courage to stick her head inside, "Nothing", she grumbled, "just an ordinary, boring stationery cupboard", she added, slowly backing away from the door.

The group relaxed and Mr Jenkins stepped forward, "Well thank you for unduly frightening my students Miss Smith", he grumbled. Jenny was about to apologise but suddenly a couple of object flew out of the cupboard, skimming past her shoulders at a tremendous speed. They were barely a metre long with a blue scaly body, leathery wings and several rows of sharp teeth. One of them immediately attached themselves to the neck of Mr Jenkins, taking a huge bite out of the man's flesh. He barely had time to scream in terror before the winged monstrosity tore a hole in his throat. He gasped for air as blood spurted out of the wound, covering the two students nearest to him. With a strained gurgled he collapsed to the ground with a solid thump. His body twitched a couple of times behind his bled out on the cold, tiled floor of his school.

The stunned shock of the speed of the attack quickly gave way to sheer terror as the hallway was filled with the panicked screams of children and adults alike. The creature not tearing chunks out of the now deceased Head Teacher buzzed directly at Rosie but she was saved by one of the Year 11 students and his cricket bat, "Quickly, get inside that classroom", Jenny barked, fending off the winged monster.

Bored with feasting on Mr Jenkins, the other creature turned its attention to Danny. It flew directly at the Maths teacher who stumbled in his attempt to get away. Once again the creature went straight for his throat but he caught the winged monster in his hands just inches away from his flesh. Danny shook in terror as the beast snapped its already bloodied jaws viciously in the area of his jugular vein. His life flashed before his eyes and he was certain that he could see a teenage boy with olive coloured skin watching over him. He turned his head as much as he dared and mouthed a silent apology at the figment of his imagination.

He closed his eyes in anticipation of the sharp teeth sinking into his flesh. Moments later he felt a sudden rush of air followed almost immediately by a crunching squelch. He opened his eyes and saw that the creature was now gone and standing over his prone body was Jenny with a bloodied hockey stick. There was a furious look on her face and her green eyes seemed to flash with anger. Danny twisted his head and noticed the twitching body of the creature several metres down the corridor, "Thank you", he wheezed once his composure had returned, "you saved my life".

"Yeah", Jenny sighed and helped Danny to his feet, "don't mention it". Danny could see that the Time Lady was conflicted but he wasn't sure why. He didn't get a chance to ask her though as the sound of shattering glass broke his train of thought. He looked up and saw a hole in the window a little further down the corridor. The creature must've broken through and flown outside.

With the immediate danger over, everyone took stock of the situation. Clara was shielding Rosie's body with her own, once again the blonde haired teen had ignored the instruction to hide. The body of the Head Teacher lay where it had fallen, just a couple of metres outside the cupboard. The speed and violence of the attack had been terrifying, "Is everyone alright", Jenny asked.

"No everyone's not alright", Rosie sobbed as tears streamed down her face. Her eyes remained fixed on the body of the Head Teacher as Clara gently rocked her in an attempt to soothe the traumatised youngster.

Jenny grasped a fistful of her red hair in one hand and slammed the hockey stick against the opposite wall. The blow created a huge hole in the flimsy plaster, "I shouldn't have done that", she shook her head in disbelief.

"You killed that thing", Clara commented, "you probably saved us all but the-" she suddenly stopped as the words jammed in her throat.

"Go on, say it", Jenny spat, "the Doctor wouldn't have poked around in the cupboard like that", she dropped the stick to the ground and it rattled against the hard floor. She placed her hands behind her head, "I placed everyone in unnecessary danger".

Clara felt conflicted as the young Time Lady threatened to crumble under the weight of her own guilt. She wasn't actually going to criticise her handling of the situation and in actual fact The Doctor probably would've done the same thing. "Poke it with a stick", she snorted gently to herself, "that's what the bow tie wearing Doctor used to say". Jenny slowly turned her head towards Clara, "He loved nothing better than walking up to something dangerous and poking it with a stick".

"Bet this didn't happen to him though", Jenny slowly walked towards the lifeless body of the Head Teacher. She removed her hoodie, making sure to take the sonic screwdriver out the pocket and draped the item of clothing over his face. The red head then crouched over the still twitching body of the winged killer, "If it wasn't so deadly I would almost call this thing beautiful", she sighed, gently brushing it's scaly skin with the tips of her fingers.

Suddenly the cupboard was illuminated with a bright light and the small group was fearful that more of those winged monsters were about to burst through. To their surprise the head and torso of a young boy burst through the light, "Help me", he pleaded, "please help me", just as quickly as he appeared, the boy disappeared again.

"Josh", Clara jumped to her feet, "he's still alive in there". The English teacher noticed that Jenny was still stationary, hesitating over her next course of action. Taking matters into her own hands Clara quickly looked around and found a concrete pillar that extended from the floor to the ceiling. The school teacher grabbed the rope that Danny had brought along and quickly began to tie it to the pillar.

"Clara, what are you doing?" Danny asked.

"Someone needs to save him", she replied, tying the other end of the rope around her waist.

"Clara don't", Jenny snapped, "I forbid you from doing this, Mum would let you".

The brunette paused briefly before returning to her knot, "You said it yourself, The Doctor's not here". As she finished the knot and checked it was secure, Clara had an epiphany. Despite their outward appearance the alien women were just as fallible as any human. Sometimes if you wanted someone saving, you had to do it yourself. "If I'm not back in five minutes", she paused and shrugged, "just wait longer". Ignoring the pleas of Danny and Jenny, Clara ran and the glowing column of light and leapt through, disappearing with a blinding flash. She had a student to rescue and nothing was going to stand in her way.

 _ **A/N** \- I had a trawl through some of the stats that FF give you and somewhere in this chapter is the millionth word that I've uploaded to this site. Here's to a million more...hopefully. _


	12. 6: Back To School

_Chapter 4 – Back To School_

A large white van screeched around a corner at speed, kicking up dust and dirt from the road in the process. The vehicle barrelled past the main entrance of IM Foreman's Scrapyard, drawing the ire of the site manager. The moment the vehicle stopped, a large man in a high visibility jacket strode in its direction. The man was overweight and he looked quite agitated at having to move so quickly, "Just what do you think you're playing at mate", he bellowed.

Captain Jack flashed the man his best grin followed by a black wallet from his jacket pocket, "Sorry to intrude, official government business", he said importantly. Jack slammed the van door shut as Gwen and The Doctor stepped out from the other door.

The site manager looked flummoxed as the man and two women opened the rear doors to reveal another female. The group carefully unloaded something which, to him, looked ready for the scrap heap, "I hope Mr Cameron is going to compensate me for keeping his rubbish", he tried to joke. His attempted humour only earned him a roll of the eyes from the dark haired woman in the velvet jacket, "Just what branch of the Government are you from?" he asked suspiciously. No one in this group looked remotely like any Government employees he had ever seen.

"This kind", The Doctor pulled out her own black wallet and flashed the site manager the contents. Immediately his face blanched and he nervously stepped away from the group, making sure to pull his jacket tighter to his body.

"Where did you tell him we're from?" Gwen asked curiously. She shifted the board containing Winifred's oversized vortex manipulator. Her arms cried out in pain from the weight of the device but she did note that the others didn't appear to be experiencing the same problem.

"Sanitation and waste disposal", the Time Lady replied, taking another look at her psychic paper, "I might've implied that this contraption could cause impotence and infertility".

As Jack sniggered, Winifred glanced over at the wallet in the Time Lady's hand, "But it's blank", she gasped in surprise.

"That's not the most surprising thing you're going to see today", Jack commented, "psychic paper", he held up his own version, "shows exactly what you want someone to see or what they're expecting to see".

The group reached the TARDIS, bringing their little convoy to a halt. The time ship was still in the same position that The Doctor had left it in hours earlier. The site manager hadn't made any attempt to move the blue box or place anything obstructive in the vicinity. "I've been meaning to ask you Doctor", Gwen began just as the Time Lady was rummaging around in her pocket for the key, "why did you park the TARDIS in a scrapyard?"

The Doctor let out a cry of triumph when she found the key. She inserted it in the lock with click before twisting her head to face the Welshwoman, "This isn't just any scrapyard my dear", she began, "this is the very first place I visited on Earth many, many centuries ago".

She quickly looked around IM Foreman's, she had been so busy the last few days that she hadn't had an opportunity to inspect the yard. Everything looked so different, even though only fifty years of Earth time had passed. The houses surrounding the yard were almost brand new, fifty years ago they were grotty looking terraced houses. Those had been torn down when the ship builders moved out of the docks in the East End and replaced by something much more modern. In the distance she could make out The Shard, The Gherkin and other skyscrapers that constituted modern London.

Back when she was the snippy and stiff old man, The Doctor had no idea that this city would change so much in such a short period of time. She had changed too, not just body-wise but in her attitude as well. Back then she was a person of science, exploring the universe with her granddaughter for the sake of exploration. She still had family onboard the TARDIS but now she was a woman of action, helping those who couldn't help themselves. Her advanced age might've taken the sheen off the universe, making her a little jaded but she wouldn't change a single thing, "Brings back a lot of memories", she continued, breaking herself out of her own thoughts.

"All the sights on Earth and you land in a scrapyard?" Winifred asked, almost disbelieving the alien woman.

"I had to keep a low profile", the Time Lady replied, "I was on the run from the Time Lords for stealing the old girl", she patted the side of the TARDIS, "and whisking my granddaughter away from the Academy". She chuckled as an old memory resurfaced, "It was Susan's idea to visit Earth she desperately wanted to learn about humans, I wasn't so keen", she added with a sniff. She shook the memory away from her mind and pushed both doors to the TARDIS open, "But that's enough ancient history for today".

The group gently brought the vortex device into the TARDIS and placed it on the floor next to the central console. Almost immediately the Time Lady began pulling panels out of the console to begin the tricky process of linking the device to the ship. This allowed the humans a few minutes to acclimatise themselves to the TARDIS. The new look console room was old news to Jack, he had seen the inside after The Doctor's appearance in London a few weeks ago. Gwen though had only been inside the Tenth Doctor's TARDIS so this was completely new to her, "You've redecorated", she gasped in awe, "is that the right term, can you redecorate a bigger on the inside time machine?"

"Not really but the actual process is too complicated to explain", The Doctor replied without looking up from the floor. She had pulled open a grate to reveal a long black cable, "Unless you have a working knowledge of multi dimensional physics", she added.

"I've got a Biology A Level", Gwen said with a half chuckle, "it reminds me of an old steam train cab".

"Yes I'm sure the TARDIS had a primitive mode of transport in mind when she reconfigured the room", The Doctor snorted sarcastically, "now could I have a little bit of quiet. If I hook this up wrong we could explode like a microwavable lasagne". A deep frown then formed on The Doctor's face so Jack wisely decided to give the raven haired woman some room.

He gently led the two ladies away from the console and onto the metal gangway. Winifred was still staring at the ship in astonishment. There was a vacant look in her eyes but at the same time there was a pained expression on her face, "It can be a little overwhelming at first", Jack attempted to reassure her. Winifred tough didn't answer, she just kept staring at ceiling, "Winny, talk to me", he waived his hand in front of her face.

The scientist blinked a couple of times as her attention focused on the immortal man, "Sorry Jack, I don't know what came over me", she replied with a confused tone.

"Trust me, I felt the same way when I came in here the first time", Gwen added. Winifred smiled but it was a weak one as she returned to staring aimlessly at the time ship. The Welshwoman gave her partner a concerned look but Jack shrugged off her concerns. People reacted to the impossible ship in different ways. Winifred was obviously taking her introduction of the ship a little harder than others.

"Ah ha, gotcha", The Doctor cried. She stood up and looked very proud of herself, "And I didn't need to use my screwdriver either".

The humans stepped back up to the console to admire the Time Lady's handiwork. The vortex manipulator was now blinking away and it almost hummed with energy with each flash of its LED display. Winifred knelt down next to her invention, she looked close to tears, "This is wonderful", she sniffed back a stray tear, "I never would've been able to get this working properly without your help". She promptly stood up and hugged the Time Lady, "This is probably the happiest day of my life".

The Doctor stood awkwardly as Jack and Gwen giggled at her embarrassment, "Time Lord technology", she almost pushed Winifred away, "that's what's powering your invention". She let out a loud sigh, "It's a shame my peers on Gallifrey could never see what I saw in humans". Winifred looked at The Doctor, her eyes had almost glazed over, "Anyway it's your invention Winny, perhaps you should show us how it works".

"Invention?" Winifred asked in confusion before she regained her sense, "oh yes, my invention". She crouched by down over the manipulator and began to tap furiously on the touchscreen interface, "In theory all I have to do is enter the co-ordinates of the school and that should zap us inside". She pulled her glasses off and placed them on top her of her head, "All we have to do is grab a hold of the board".

The Doctor was the first to grab on, followed swiftly by Jack. Gwen though looked a little hesitant, "Come on Gwen it'll be fine", the Captain tried to reassure her, "when have I ever been wrong?"

"Do you want a list?" Gwen snorted and folded her arms across her chest. After a few moments she let out a groan and crouched down between Jack and The Doctor.

The Time Lady had to smile at the banter between the long time partners. That grin soon faded when he noticed Winifred had grabbed hold too, "Winny you should stay here", he implored the scientist, "I can't guarantee your safety".

"I know", she responded defiantly, "but it sounds like you'll need all the help you can get". She tapped a couple more times on the touch screen, "Plus I'm the only one who knows how to do this".

Before anyone could protest, Winifred activated the device and the quartet disappeared from the TARDIS. A fraction of a second later they were deposited on the hard tarmac of the playground belonging to Coal Hill. All of them had sore hands and knees from the bumpy landing and thumping headaches from the method of travel, "Nasty way to travel", The Doctor groaned, massaging her temples in an attempt to soothe the pain.

Almost immediately the group heard the low growl of one of the wolves that were patrolling the playground. The creature was standing menacingly over Winifred and the scientist whimpered in fear. The wolf almost seemed to smile, like he was feeding on the woman's terror, "Hey ugly", Jack called out and jumped onto the creatures back. He pulled on the beast's ears in an attempt to steer it away from Winifred. Suddenly the creature bucked and Jack was thrown into the air. The wolf plucked the Captain out of the air with its mouth, shook him violently before slamming him against the ground. It tossed the lifeless body of Captain Jack across the playground with a snort of distain.

Satisfied the Captain wasn't a threat anymore, the wolf turned its attention to the three women. It barely had a chance to look in their direction before a loud bang echoed across the playground. The wolf whined and staggered around on its legs before collapsing in a heap. Slowly Gwen lowered her arm, the barrel of her gun still smoking, "What did you do that for?" The Doctor hissed in anger as the storm clouds gathered in her eyes.

"It's a tranq bullet", Gwen replied in an equally angry tone, "specially developed for large creature like this". She slid the top of her weapon and ejected the spent cartridge, "I know you don't like guns Doctor but I will defend myself by any means necessary. I would like to return to my husband and son with most of my limbs intact".

The stern words of Gwen defused some of the Time Lady's anger but not all of it. She turned her back and walked away before she aimed some rather unpleasant words in the Agent's direction. She left Gwen to look after Winifred whilst she went to check on the fallen wolf. The creature appeared to be sleeping and other than a small entry wound, there was no additional signs of injury, "Wolf bite", Jack groaned as he took his place at the Time Lady's side, "I'll have to cross that off my death bucket list". He inspected his clothing, there was a huge tear in his shirt and coat, "Damn it, this was my favourite coat", he grumbled. When The Doctor didn't respond, he took a few moments to give her the once over, "Uh oh, I recognise that look".

"What look", The Doctor snapped in response.

"Your special look, reserved for moments when a human has seriously pissed you off", Jack replied, "the faces may change but the looks still remain the same Doc".

The Time Lady tried to look angry but she had to crack a small smile, "No I guess not", she shook her head, "it's nothing serious, just you humans and your obsession with firearms".

Jack gave her a knowing smile, "Yeah, one day we'll learn", he tried to distract the Time Lady with the beast lying in front of them, "So this is really from another dimension then, it hasn't just slipped through a wormhole".

The Doctor froze, "You know I hadn't thought about that". She reached into her jacket and after a lengthy search, pulled out a pair of cardboard 3D glasses, "Haven't used these in a while", she said, looking on the item with reverence. Placing the glasses on her face, she gave the creature the once over, "Definitely from another dimension", she handed the glasses over to Jack. When he placed them over his eyes, the wolf appeared to sparkle and shimmer as particles hovered over its body, "Those small objects you can see are only present if you cross the void between dimensions", she continued, "I've got them all over me and if Rose was here, she would be covered in them as well", she added almost nonchalantly.

Jack whipped the glasses off his face and stared at the Time Lady, "You said her name", he gasped in shock, "the Doctor I knew could barely stand hearing her name mentioned".

"I know", The Doctor took a deep breath, "I loved Rose and a small part of me always will but it's been over a millennium since Canary Wharf for me. That's long enough even for me to move on", Jack wanted to probe The Doctor a little more but the pained expression told its own story. The words she spoke were true, she had moved on but that didn't mean that the memories of the blonde haired woman didn't sting.

The pair weren't allowed to wallow in the past as Gwen and a shaky looking Winifred slowly approached, "All good over here", the Welshwoman asked hesitantly.

"Yeah all good, other than my coat", Jack smiled, "how about you Doc?"

The Doctor appeared to bite her lip before answering, "Fantastic", she said through gritted teeth, "keep that weapon of yours ready Gwen, those things are faster than you can possibly imagine". Asking Gwen to keep her gun ready to tranquilise the wolves seemed to cause the Time Lady some physical discomfort but despite her hatred for guns, she was pragmatic to realise the dangers those beasts posed. "Come on, we need to find a way into the building", The Doctor ordered her team, "stay together and don't any of you dare run off", she added with a bark. The quartet moved quickly around the edge of the playground, trying to stay out of sight of the remaining beasts.


	13. 6: Calm Like A Bomb

_Chapter 5 – Calm Like A Bomb_

Fortunately for the small rescue party, the journey around the outskirts of Coal Hill proved to be largely uneventful. The wolves were keeping a safe distance from the quartet either out of respect that they had been able to take down one of their own or fear that Gwen's weapon would be turned against them. The group still chose to move cautiously, the wolves were growling intermittently which The Doctor interpreted as a precursor to an attack. They were very grateful to find a passageway between a fence and the edge of the school which seemed to have a door into the building.

The alleyway was extremely narrow and there was barely any room to turn sideways. It was reasonably long which gave them perfect protection from the rampaging creatures in the playground. At the far end was a door and directly opposite was a wooden shed which the caretaker used to store his grounds keeping tools. The Time Lady crouched down and inspected the door, it was an emergency exit with a bar to push it open. Unfortunately the bar was on the other side of the door. The release bolts and pins were also on the other side and there was no physical lock which meant she couldn't even pick the lock. She really wished that she had her screwdriver right now, "No good Doctor?" Gwen asked.

"It'll be tricky and we might need to adopt a brute force approach", the Time Lady replied, standing up straight. She noticed that Jack was about to charge at the door but she held up a hand to stop him, "Save your muscles Captain", she began, "you haven't got enough space to build up the power needed to break this door down". She turned around slightly and noticed the flimsy wooden door on the shed, "Although this one might be a litter easier". Jack gave her a half smile in response and with a swing of his right leg, the door flew off his hinges, "Almost impressive", The Doctor chuckled.

Inside the shed were various items a caretaker or groundskeeper would need to keep the playing fields looking neat and tidy. There were a number of sharp looking tools, two lawnmowers, various bags containing fertilizer and weed killers, not to mention the furnace in the corner of the room, "Naked flames in a wooden shed", Winifred shook her head in disbelief, "I'm amazed the whole place hasn't gone up in flames yet".

"Especially with this around", Jack kicked a bag of fertilizer, "this stuff would really go up with a bang".

Suddenly The Doctor clapped her hands together, there was a look of excitement written all over her face, "That's it", she cried, "its a rather uncouth solution but beggars can't be choosers". She turned to Winifred, grasping the woman's hands in the process. The scientist looked petrified at the sudden contact and her discomfort wasn't eased after noticing the glint in the Time Lady's eyes, "Have you ever made your own explosives?"

"Erm, maybe", the brunette replied, looking nervously at Jack and Gwen.

"Don't worry, what Kate doesn't know won't hurt her", Jack smiled back.

Winifred nodded and swallowed slowly, "I might've experimented years ago, out of scientific curiosity mind you", she added quickly. Her eyes scanned the quickly and the others could almost hear the cogs in her brain whirring, "There's most of the stuff here I would need to mix up my own special blend of potassium nitrate", she continued, "the only thing missing is potassium itself". Moments later The Doctor thrust something into Winifred's hands. It only took her a moment to realise what it was, "Were you carrying this around in your pocket?" the Time Lady shrugged noncommittally, "Why would you walk around with a volatile chunk of metal, are you insane?"

"Probably, never been tested, should get round to that one day", The Doctor stately dryly, leaving the others to wonder how serious she was, "Can you work with this or not?"

The scientist took one final look around which allowed herself time to summon up her courage, "Yes but I'll need about twenty minutes".

"You've got fifteen Winny", Jack patted her on the shoulder, only adding to the woman's nerves, "Let's give the mad scientist some breathing room", the Captain instructed the others. He might be immortal but the others certainly weren't.

The wait in the alleyway was tense, Jack leaned against the wall in an attempt to look as calm as possible. Gwen was the total opposite, nervously fiddling with her weapon just in case it would be needed in the immediate future. The Doctor though was the calmest looking of them all, she was sat down on the floor with her hands in her lap and her eyes closed. "Is she sleeping?" Gwen whispered to Jack.

"I don't think so", Jack replied, "I don't remember seeing The Doctor sleep before, then again she is getting on a bit".

"Two thousand is barely middle aged by Time Lord standards Captain", the Time Lady replied without opening her eyes. "For your information I was trying to mediate, helps me organise my thoughts". She took a deep breath, deliberately slowing her beating hearts, "Everyone always wants everything done urgently and we forget to stop and make sense of the information we've learned. It's hard enough for a Time Lady to process everything so it makes me wonder how humans with their hilariously tiny brains manage it".

Gwen and Jack were unsure whether to take offence to The Doctor's comments, instead they chose to leave the alien woman to her quiet meditation. Just over fifteen minutes later, Winifred emerged from the shed with a long plastic tube, "I found some gutting, thought this could be useful to contain the blast".

"Jesus Winny", Gwen gasped, "how much did you make?"

"If something's worth doing, it's worth overdoing", The Doctor declared, practically leaping to her feet. She took the pipe from Winifred, ignoring her warning about the volatility of her mixture and placed it against the wooden door, "All we need now is something to light the fuse".

There was a brief delay until Gwen reaching into her jeans and pulled out a disposable cigarette lighter, "I didn't know you smoked?" Jack asked his partner.

"Only when I'm really nervous", Gwen said defensively, "I can quit any time I want". The Doctor ignored the banter between the Torchwood pair, quickly lit the fuse and pushed everyone down towards the end of the alley. They were barely halfway down when Winifred's homemade pipe bomb detonated. Everyone ducked for cover as pieces of plastic and large wooden splinters flashed past their heads. The blast was so powerful that the walls of the shed were also destroyed, "That was one serious explosion", the Welshwoman wiggled her fingers in her ears to try and stop them from ringing.

"I'm so sorry", Winifred apologised profusely, "I wasn't expecting it to be that powerful".

The Doctor slowly stood up from her crouched position and walked back down the corridor, making sure to step over the larger pieces of debris. Winifred's bomb had done the trick, the emergency door and been shattered and they were now able to enter the school. Before she could walk any further, she was suddenly struck with a very large feeling of anxiety. Something bad was going on inside and she suspected that Clara and Jenny were involved, "We need to get inside", she barked, "now".

Not wasting a moment, the quartet charged inside with the Time Lady at the head of the line. Jack unholstered his own weapon and was on high alert for anything coming their way. Winifred lingered at the rear of the group, sticking as close to the two armed agents as possible. It didn't take them long to find a disturbance, another one of the scaly flying creatures had gotten into the school and was swooping down on a group of children. Jack quickly fired a tranq round into the creature and it dropped out the air, "Is everyone alright?" he called out over the terrified voices of the children.

Looking over the crowd The Doctor couldn't see Clara or Jenny anywhere. She did notice one familiar face though, "Courtney", she called out, "have you seen Miss Oswald anywhere?"

Courtney Woods looked conflicted for a moment, her displeasure at The Doctor's treatment was at the forefront of her mind. She briefly considered withholding what she knew but a small part of her knew that The Doctor was the best person to deal with this situation, "I heard from Izzy Lewis that she was near the library, apparently Mr Jenkins got a chunk taken out of him by one of these things", she kicked out at the fallen creature to emphasis her point. The Time Lady's eyes widened and she pushed past the crowd in a hurry to get to the library.

The journey to the library wasn't far but to the Time Lady it felt like an eternity. The anxious feeling still hadn't passed, in fact it was rising with every step that she took. Rounding the final corner her hearts skipped a beat when she saw a lump on the floor covered with a sheet. She could only see Rosie and Jenny in the corridor along with a rope that was leading into a cupboard. Her daughter was tying a second length of rope around her body when she called out in desperation, "Jenny, please tell me that's not Clara".

"It's not Clara", Jenny replied, allowing The Doctor to let out a sigh of relief, "something flew out of a portal and killed Mr Jenkins. One of the students had been sucked through to the other side", the red head let out a deep sigh and looked more than a little concerned. Jenny didn't need to finish her sentence because The Doctor already knew where Clara had gone. She snatched the piece of rope out of her daughters hand and began to tie it around her waist, "Mum, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing", she snapped, "Clara's gotten herself into this mess so I'm going to get her out and don't any of you", she glared at everyone in the corridor, "don't think about stopping me". Without waiting to hear their response, the Time Lady ran at the cupboard and disappeared through the portal with a flash.

She was spat out the other end and landed face down on a hard, rocky surface. There were large stones and boulders dotted around and the ground was a burned shade of green. When The Doctor regained the ability to move, she took a look up at the sky. It was a dark shade of red, almost blood red she would call it. For a brief moment she thought about the skies of Gallifrey and hoped that by some miracle she had found her way home. That soon passed though as The Doctor quickly realised this wasn't Gallifrey but an alternate version of Earth. The gravity felt about the same but there was a higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the air than she would expect. The heavy clouds in the sky to her indicated that the atmosphere had been damaged in some way, either through pollution or some kind of warfare.

The next thing she noticed was the complete absence of any human life. There were no cities, towns or even small settlements. This was an Earth where humans were no longer the dominate species and that spelt trouble for Clara and the student she had gone to rescue. The Time Lady found the rope that Clara should've been attached to but it had been broken. She couldn't tell if it was through natural causes or because it had been chewed through by some monstrous creature.

The Doctor set about looking for her friend but a quiet voice in the distance got her attention. She looked up a rocky embankment and found Clara holding onto a boy of about fourteen. Wasting no time she practically bounded up the embankment, losing her footing a couple of times on the larger rocks. She was relieved to see Clara in one piece, other than a few scrapes on her legs that had torn through her tights. The boy looked to be in worse shape, he was almost unconscious and practically a dead weight in Clara's arms. He had no outward injuries though which was one good piece of news.

Clara and The Doctor's eyes met and the alien woman could see the terror in the dark brown orbs of the school teacher. She should've been angry at Clara for throwing herself into this situation but the panicked looked on her face made all that disappear, "You've seen better days", the Time Lady tried to joke.

"Thanks", Clara couldn't help but laugh at the inappropriate joke, "its Josh that I'm more concerned for".

Giving the boy the once over, The Doctor frowned, "Can't be certain of anything until we get him back but I would say he's suffering from oxygen starvation. The makeup of the atmosphere is much different than either of you are used to". Clara nodded in relief but she still didn't look reassured, "Clara, there's something you're not telling me".

The school teacher nervously nodded over her shoulder and immediately The Doctor's eyes widened. Behind them was the largest collection of creatures she had ever seen. There were the wolves from the playground, the flying beasts from the corridor and plenty of other creatures waiting to pounce. This wasn't an unplanned incursion, this was a full scale invasion, "Ah", The Doctor began, "I think we should run now". Grabbing Josh and throwing him over her shoulder, The Doctor and Clara dashed towards the portal as fast as they could. They needed to warn the others before it was too late.

 _ **A/N -** I've uploaded a few pictures to Flickr, mostly of my 12th Doctor and Winifred. Follow the link - photos/145937314 N04_

 _If for some reason the link doesn't work, just search for my FF username on Flickr and you will find me. I'll upload more once I've got more time. Enjoy._


	14. 6: I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

_Chapter 6 – I Don't Want To Miss A Thing_

On the other side of the portal Jenny, Danny and the others nervously watched the cupboard for any signs of life. The Time Lady and the school teacher were both nervous for different reasons, yet quite similar reasons. Jenny still had her mother's sonic screwdriver and would periodically scan the cupboard for any dimensional activity. A small part of her thought that she should've been the one to traverse the portal. She had the training need to survive harsh environments programmed into her brain. Her home planet of Messaline was an unforgiving place and knowledge of how to survive its unpredictable climate had been built into all the soldiers produced by the propagation machines.

Despite this knowledge she had allowed both Clara and The Doctor to jump through the portal with barely a hint of protest. Jenny thought she had gotten over her confidence issues but she had been so consumed with her guilt at allowing Mr Jenkins to die that she had forgotten almost everything she had learned in the last few weeks. When her mother finally arrived Jenny had been far too quick to become subservient to the older Time Lady without thinking about what was best for everyone. Maybe she wasn't as suitable for leadership as she thought she had been.

Danny meanwhile had Rosie to think about. The teenager had been almost catatonic with shock ever since the flying creatures had taken several chunks out of the Headmaster. She sat on the floor with her knees pressed firmly against her chest. Her arms were wrapped around her legs for comfort and the young girl had a glassy, faraway look in her eyes. The former soldier recognised the look all too well from his days in the Army. Shell shock was a common affliction amongst the new recruits, most of them were barely any older than the girl sitting in front of him. They weren't prepared for the horrors of war and in Danny's opinion, they would never have to be prepared.

The Maths teachers spared a quick look at the others that had arrived with The Doctor. Two of them looked like soldiers themselves, weapons always at the ready and a cautious look on their faces. The third one was the most curious of the alien's entourage. He guessed she was a scientist of some sort, judging by the lab coat. Her clothes were about a size too big for her frame and there were a pair of glasses perched on top her messy caramel coloured hair. She had one arm crossed in front other body whilst she bit the nails on her other hand. Everything about the woman suggested she was uncomfortable or inexperienced with this line of work.

His thoughts shifted towards Clara and the way she had thrown herself into danger without a second thought. He didn't understand why someone would willingly throw himself into a situation without pausing for thought. That might've made him sound like a coward, a weird position for a former solider to find themselves in but seeing actual conflict had given Danny a unique outlook on life. In the Army people who rushed in didn't tend to last very long. His major concern was that if Clara kept up with this recklessness then one day, she wouldn't come back at all. With each passing minute, it looked like that day would be today.

One of The Doctor's friends took a seat next to Rosie, the one in the dark leather jacket. She placed her weapon in front of her but still within easy reach, "Hey", she said softly, "I'm Gwen Cooper what's your name?"

The teen sniffed a couple of time before replying with a weak voice, "Rosie", she wiped her eyes, "Rosie Harman".

Gwen placed her hand on top of Rosie's arm and rubbed it reassuringly, "I know things don't look good right now Rosie but trust me, you'll get out of this in one piece".

"Yeah but not everyone will", the teen practically spat in the Welshwoman's direction, "Mr Dickie's gone and so is-", she tried to say the name of her Headmaster but the words stuck in her throat, "not everyone will get out of here".

Danny wanted to shout at the woman for her poor attempt had comforting Rosie but something about her posture told him that this Gwen Cooper had suffered her own losses in the past. Her head slumped slightly like this wasn't the first time she was having this conversation with a terrified civilian. "I know", Gwen continued, "that's why you need to carry on living, in their memory and in their honour", he spared a quick glance at her partner, "That's what keeps us going". Rosie looked at Gwen and felt the sincerity behind her words and offered her a slow nod in response, "Our friend is a doctor herself", she pointed at Winifred, "why don't you let her check you out, just to make sure you're in one piece".

Rosie struggled to stand up her muscles were stiff from sitting in the same position for too long. On the second attempt she managed to get to her feet and began shuffling towards Winifred. The brunette looked confused when the teen approached her but soon began to give her the once over, "Your friend isn't a doctor, is she?" Danny asked.

"Not of medicine", Gwen shrugged, "but she's a massive hypochondriac, spends most of her waking hours Googling symptoms for illnesses she doesn't have. She probably knows more about medicine than any GP I've ever visited".

Danny frowned at the Welshwoman, "Then why did you tell Rosie she was a doctor?"

"Because Rosie wasn't the only one who could do with a distraction", Gwen stated, "Winny isn't a field operative but she wanted to help". She watched as the scientist checked the pulse of the teen, "Between the two of us, I think she's the smartest person I've ever met but following us here", she shook her head, "probably the stupidest thing she's ever done".

That sentence right there summed up his thoughts about Clara. He was still struggling to understand why someone would want to do something as dangerous like this every day of the lives. A few years in the Army had satisfied any thrill seeking urges for his entire life. "Why do you do it?" he couldn't resist asking Gwen that question, "you're a friend of this Doctor person, why do you want to live like this?"

Gwen let out a deep sigh, like she had thought about that very question quite a lot, "I followed Captain Jack and his team down this rabbit hole a long time ago", came her cryptic response. "I've seen things I never want to see again but then again I've experienced things that would blow your mind". The pair sat in silence for a couple of moments as Gwen tried to gather her thoughts into a coherent answer, "We do this for different reasons, I fight aliens to keep the world safe for my husband and child". She pointed at Captain Jack, "My partner fights in the name of The Doctor, she turned him from a cowardly con man into someone prepared to battle things that no one else would dare to".

"That doesn't sound particularly appealing to me", Danny stated, still with half a thought on Clara, "there's nothing noble or glamorous about war", he added grimly.

"I know", Gwen replied tersely, "but not everyone in the universe agrees with that statement. Some cultures, like the Sontarans, thrive and live for the glory of battle. It's people like us", she pointed at Jack, "that keep the Earth safe so everyone else can sleep safely at night". Gwen paused and noticed the red head by the cupboard, who she guessed must've been the daughter that The Doctor mentioned, "I think we might have company", she frowned as Jenny took a couple of nervous steps away from the door, "Jack we've got a situation".

Immediately Jack and Gwen were on their feet with their weapons trained on the door. Jenny quickly fiddled with the settings on the sonic and stood next to Jack. The Captain wanted to give the red head his best smile but suddenly remembered that this was The Doctor's daughter and quickly cleared that thought from his head. The portal suddenly flared into life and Clara stumbled through, straight into the arms of Jack, "An interdimensional portal that spits out attractive women", he chuckled, "my kind of door".

Clara didn't get a chance to ask why or how Captain Jack Harkness had come to be in the school as the portal flashed again. This time The Doctor stepped out, a little more elegantly than Clara did, with a young boy in her arms, "Josh", Rosie cried and rushed to the Time Lady's side. She began to frantically check the teen, "Please, please don't tell me he's dead too", she pleaded with the raven haired woman.

"No he isn't", The Doctor said grimly, "but he needs medical attention". She looked down at the teen, who was still drifting in and out of consciousness, "the oxygen in this atmosphere should aid his recovery but we won't be able to do much until we close those portals". She looked towards Clara who was still a little dazed by her experience, "Do you have a nurse's room in the building?"

"Yeah, near main reception", the English teacher replied thickly. The Time Lady nodded and she set off in that direction with Gwen offering her close protection. Clara extracted herself from Captain Jack's arms and allowed the immortal man to catch up with The Doctor. With Rosie and Winifred following the others, that left Clara in the company of Jenny and Danny, "So, I got him back", she said evenly.

"You still shouldn't have gone in there", the younger Time Lady said with a hint of annoyance. Clara was fully prepared to defend her actions but to her surprise, Jenny quickly threw her arms around the school teacher, "I'm so sorry, I should've done more to stop you".

Clara wasn't sure how to react to the gesture from Jenny and was slightly relieved when the Time Lady released her. Jenny didn't elaborate further and quickly hurried down the corridor to catch up with the others, "Okay, that was unexpected", she mumbled to herself. Clearly wildly fluctuating emotional responses weren't a trait unique to The Doctor. With everyone else gone, that left Clara and Danny alone. The English teacher scuffed her feet against the ground and stared idly into the distance, "So, that happened", she stated, not really sure how to begin.

"Clara answer this question honestly", Danny began, "is every day with The Doctor like this?"

The brunette took a couple of moments to reply but eventually muttered, "Pretty much, yeah". Danny glanced towards the ceiling and took a deep breath. Seconds later Clara got another surprise when her fellow teacher pressed his lips firmly against hers. The kiss lasted for a few seconds until he quickly pulled back, "Uh, wow", Clara stammered, her heart pounding firmly against her chest. She certainly found Danny attractive but she hadn't been prepared for a mind blowing kiss like that.

"I kinda hoped that would be reaction", Danny gave her a shy little smile, "I thought I would do that whilst I still have the chance". Clara frowned in confusion but Danny reached out and grasped her hand, "This life with The Doctor is dangerous Clara, I understand why you do it but I can't say that I'm comfortable with it".

"Are you asking me to give up travelling with The Doctor?" she asked, feeling slightly deflated.

"No", Danny sighed, "but I'm not going to second guess myself anymore", he tightened his grip slightly, "I'm going to grasp every moment that I can because I really don't want to miss a thing". Clara nodded in agreement but she could tell there was a hidden meaning to his words. When she said yes to travelling with The Doctor many months ago, she didn't have any real attachments. She never stopped to think about what impact it could have on her relationships. Perhaps it was time to think about that in a little more depth, "We should catch up with the others", Danny said firmly.

The walk to main reception was brief. Clara's heart skipped a beat when she noticed one of the wolves prowling around outside. She then remembered that The Doctor had firmly secured the doors so the beast couldn't get inside, "Ah Clara, there you are", the older Time Lady greeted her friend, "glad you could join us". She noticed the intertwined hands of Clara and Danny and offered her companion a sly grin, "Something you two would like to share".

Clara instantly dropped Danny hand and scratched head nervously, "Doctor what about those creatures waiting on the other side of the portal?"

"Wait, there's more of them?" Danny cried in alarm.

"I'm afraid so Danny", the older Time Lady said grimly, "there's enough monsters on the other side of the portal to tear London to pieces". She paused and paced a couple of times on the spot, "I need the TARDIS to properly seal the dimensions but first I need to get everyone out of here and that's where Winny comes in".

"M-me", Winifred stammered nervously, stepping out of the nurse room with Gwen, Jack and Jenny in close pursuit, "I-I don't understand".

"The vortex manipulator you created, that can be used to transport everyone out of here", the older Time shook of the stammering protests of the scientist, "I know where I went wrong with my own calculations now after looking at your device. Between us", she shrugged briefly, "well mostly me but you'll be there for moral support, we can save everyone before-". The Doctor's speech was cut off but a heavy vibration that shook the foundations of the school building. Outside the wolves began to howl, like there were expecting something to happen in the imminent future. The Doctor gulped nervously, "Before that happens", she said grimly.

"It's them isn't it", Clara asked, she knew the answer but she wanted someone to confirm that she was correct.

"Yes Clara, the invasion is coming", The Doctor looked concerned, a look that those who had met the Time Lady before weren't used to seeing, "the damage they could cause just by coming through could suck half the building into their dimension". She grasped her hands behind her head before turning sharply to everyone, "Jack and Gwen, check the building and get everyone into the main hall", she ordered, "Danny, help them out, you know this place better than they do".

"You've got it Doc", Jack grinned and let his team, including a hesitant Danny away from the hall.

The older Time Lady pursed her lips in thought, "I need something conductive to insulate the hall", she thought out loud.

"Lots of metal", Jenny picked up on the thought, "Clara and I are on it".

"Try that caretaker's shed that Winny blew up", The Doctor waived them away before Clara could ask why and how the shed had come to be blown up. That left the Time Lady alone with Winifred, "Alright Winny, it's all down to us now", the scientist looked horrified that the fate of everyone in the school rested on her shoulders. If The Doctor hadn't taken her firmly by the arm, she probably would've collapsed into a dead faint. The Doctor practically dragged her most reluctant companion to date towards the IT department. They have to scavenge some supplied before they could get to work.

 _ **A/N -** Since this chapter has a fair amount of Clara/Danny, this would be a good time to check on the status of my poll. It's currently 7 votes to 2 in favour of keeping Danny alive at the end of this series. You can still change that by voting in the poll via my profile page. _


	15. 6: Be Quick Or Be Dead

_Chapter 7 – Be Quick Or Be Dead  
_

The main hall was almost completely silent, even though there were close to four hundred people crammed into the space. Everyone was too nervous to utter a single word, some were too hesitant to even breathe. The news of Mr Jenkins' death had spread around the remaining students pretty quickly. The grizzly details only added to the nervous energy that reverberated off the walls.

It wasn't just an atmospheric buzz in the hall, the impending creature invasion was causing the walls of reality to physically vibrate. The floor hummed steady underneath their feet but the rhythm was increasing. The Doctor explained that the creatures on the other side were pushing against the tear, causing the wall to stretch like an overinflated balloon. They could only take so much before they broke, releasing a significant amount of pent up energy. There was no telling where the final tear would occur, if they were lucky it would be out on the school field several hundred metres from the main building. The worst case scenario didn't bear thinking about but the grim look on the older Time Lady's face told its own story.

The Doctor's little group had cleared a small space at the side of the hall to set up their escape route. Clara and Jenny's scavenge of the caretaker's shed had yielded a metal arch about eight feet tall. According to the English teacher it was left over from last year's summer fete. It was fairly sturdy and took a lot of effort to move, none of which had been acknowledged by the older Time Lady much to the frustration of the pair.

In The Doctor's defence she was completing some complex calculations to ensure everyone's safety. Her fingers darted over the keyboard rapidly whilst Winifred read out a string of numbers. No one had any idea what the number's related to, other than being key to whatever program was needed to get them out of the school. Every now and then Winifred would stumble over a number string, drawing a sigh of exasperation from the Time Lady. A stern talking to from Clara and silenced The Doctor's verbal signs of impatience although if you looked closely enough, the tension was written in the body language of the raven haired woman.

The vibrations were getting stronger and even those ignorant to the theory of dimensional travel could tell there was something unusual in the air. It was to everyone's relief when Winifred suddenly stood up and plugged a couple of heavy duty cables into the metal arch and nodded in the Time Lady's direction. The space between the arch was filled with a bright blue light, "Ha, got it", The Doctor practically jumped off the floor. She grabbed Winifred and kissed her firmly on the forehead, "That mighty brain of yours has saved us again", she cried.

The scientist blushed and nervously bit her lip, "I-I didn't do that much", she protested.

"Nonsense" The Doctor replied, moving the laptop she had been using to a more secure location, "I've only seen one person work as fast as you", her eyes went a little misty but there was a conflicted look on her face. She quickly shook her head, "But they're not here and you Winifred McQueen most certainly are".

The door to the room burst open as Jack, Gwen and Danny stepped through. The Maths teacher was supporting Josh with one arm. The teen was looking a little more alert than earlier but he really needed proper medical attention. The last one through the door was Rosie and she shut the door firmly. Gwen slid a metal pole that was in her hand through the door handles to secure them in the room, "We've checked the entire building, everyone's here", she declared.

"Excellent, now we can start getting everyone out", The Doctor clapped her hands together and began ushering everyone towards the arch.

"Erm Doctor", Clara said as quietly as she dared, "you do know where this leads this time, right?"

"London", the Time Lady shrugged her shoulders and waived her friend away, "somewhere in London, not too far away from here I think".

"You think?" Clara frowned, "London's a big place Doctor".

The Doctor groaned in frustration, rubbing her temples in the process, "Clara I've just bodged together a working teleporter from an old garden arch using antiquated technology in less than twenty minutes". She placed her hands on the teacher's shoulders, "Forgive me if I haven't had time to work out the exit point to the nearest few metres".

Clara snorted loudly and held the Time Lady's glare. The Doctor, both of the one's she had met properly, always got moody when they were under extreme stress. She understood to an extent but that didn't mean she liked being on the receiving end of the alien's biting comments. Behind the pair Jenny had clicked a couple of buttons on the laptop, "Somewhere called Buckingham Palace, that's the exit spot", there were shocked gasps from the students, "is that somewhere important?"

"You're sending them to the Queen's back garden?" Winifred cried, doubling checking that Jenny had read the exit co-ordinates correctly.

"Why not, Liz Two and I go way back", The Doctor shrugged, "had a surprisingly entertaining evening with her a couple of regenerations ago", she laughed loudly, "Liz, Phil and I spent the entire evening playing practical jokes on President Trump. That really tested the special relationship between the US and UK let me tell you". She stopped talking when everyone stared at her in confusion, "Sorry you've got all that to look forward to". The Time Lady checked the connections one last time, "If possible give 2019 a miss, old Donnie goes a little", she made a universal gesture to indicate he went a little crazy.

"Mum", Jenny groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, "you really need to learn when to stop talking".

"Yeah but then life would be dull and tedious", The Doctor grinned manically at her daughter, "you don't want to see me when I'm bored, trust me". Barely pausing between sentences, she caught the eye of the children nearest the arch, "Right, through you go", she began to waive them into the portal.

Unsurprisingly the youngsters were a little hesitant to proceed. Sensing the unease of her fellow students, Rosie stepped up to the portal first to show that it was perfectly safe, "Thank you Doctor", the blonde smiled at the Time Lady.

"Thank you Rose", she quickly shook her, "I mean Rosie, sorry old habits". The teen grinned at the alien and stepped through.

There was a tense wait until Winifred thrust her hands into the air, "She's through, portal activity confirmed in the vicinity of the Palace".

The tension quickly cleared and soon everyone was clambering to get into the archway. The teachers tried their best to keep order but there was soon a jam forming at the entrance. Jack and Gwen joined the teachers and soon the students were streaming through. Barely five minutes after Rosie stepped through, almost everyone was evacuated. The only student left behind was Josh who was still being supported by Danny, "Alright Mr Pink looks like you're the last one", Winifred breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"You coming too Clara", Danny asked more in hope. The blank stare he received from his fellow teacher told the whole story, "Just be safe", he pleaded.

"That's what I'm here for", The Doctor added. Danny though didn't look convinced and after a brief moment of hesitation, stepped through the portal with the injured student, "I don't think he likes me", the older Time Lady asked in bemusement.

"I have no idea why", Clara said with more than a hint of sarcasm, "alright let's get the TARDIS and get out of here".

Clara had barely finished her sentence when a violent shockwave hit the building. The windows shattered, showering the small group with glass and debris. Jenny quickly scrambled to the window and almost instantly staggered backwards, "Mum, I think you need to see this", she called out with a shaky voice

The Doctor frowned, she and Clara had already seen the platoon of creatures in the other universe but she decided to humour her daughter. The second she reached the blown out window, she saw why Jenny had been so nervous. In addition to the other monsters that had been waiting was a giant lizard creature, easily thirty feet high, "Oh my God", Clara gasped, "look at the size of that thing"

Jack approached the window and within moments he too agreed with Clara's shock at the size of the giant lizard, "We're going to need a bigger boat", he gasped.

"Don't start making movie references Jack", Gwen watched as the giant lizard creature started stomping in their direction, "if you really have to, make one about Godzilla. At least that would be relevant.

Deciding not to waste any more time staring at the creature, The Doctor turned around sharply. The edges of her jacket fluttered behind her. "All media is inspired by something I suppose" she stated, pulling out her screwdriver, "the beast you see in the films isn't the same as that one but perhaps visions of it had bled through the dimensional walls". The portal flashed dark blue as the familiar sound of grinding gears filled the hall, "Still I don't want to hang around to ask it", she added, just as the TARDIS appeared in the room. It had used the portal as a homing beacon, latching onto its signal to break through the interference, "Well don't stand around gawping, get it", she ordered everyone. Not needing a second invitation, the group bundled into the time ship as quickly as they could. The only one left was Winifred, who was frantically tapping something into the laptop, "Come on Winny, stop dawdling".

"Just a couple more moments Doctor" Winifred replied frantically.

Outside the hall the assembled monsters let out an unholy battle cry and charged towards the building. Out the corner of her eye the Time Lady could see the hoard galloping in their direction. The walls wouldn't be able to withstand a hit from that giant lizard, they would crumble like cardboard, "We don't have a couple of moments Winny", the Time Lady cried, "I'm not letting anything happen to you, not now that I've found you".

She grabbed Winifred arm just as the scientist hit the enter key on the laptop. A fraction of a second later the creatures crashed through the wall sending pieces of masonry and metal everywhere. The pair hit the floor and curled up into tight balls to avoid the worst of the debris. The Doctor slowly lifted her head and her vision was immediately filled with the snarling muzzle of the giant lizard. It snorted loudly and the Time Lady could feel its hot breath flood over her body. The raven haired woman wasn't afraid to admit that she was absolutely terrified. She could feel the same fear coming off Winifred next to her.

Suddenly they were hauled to their feet and practically dragged towards the TARDIS door, "Need a lift ladies", Captain Jack beamed, his hands firmly wrapped around the two women's arms.

"I'm perfectly capable of rescuing myself Captain", the Time Lady snorted. Secretly she was pleased that Jack had arrived when he did but she wasn't going to tell him that.

The trio staggered through the door and Gwen slammed it firmly shut behind them. The second the door closed, Jenny released the handbrake and set the ship in motion. There was a solid thud as some of the creatures tried to break in but they were too late. The Doctor straightened out her jacket and smoothed down her hair before quickly approaching the console, "Right, now to send those beasts back where they came from".

"No need Doctor", Winifred began, "that what I was doing, I've reversed the portal". The gaze of the Time Lady fell firmly on the brunette and she couldn't help but avoid eye contact, "I'm sorry did I do something wrong".

The Doctor slowly walked back down the metal platform until she was face to face with Winifred, "I told you once Winny", she said grimly but quickly broke out into a broad grin, "you are a bloody genius". She ran a hand through her hand with a disbelieving grin, "I'm so proud of you I could kiss you". As Winifred blushed, the Time Lady shrugged her shoulders, "Oh, screw it", she placed her hands on Winifred's cheeks and planted a quick yet firm kiss on her lips. The scientist's knees buckled at the unexpected contact, causing her to grasp the metal railing, "How did you even do it?"

"I just", Winifred began but she had to take a couple of moment to regain her composure, "I just reversed the polarity".

"That actually works?" The Doctor frowned, "just between us I say that because I can't be bothered to explain what I'm doing". She let out a quick chortle, "Learned something new today". She headed back towards the console but in the middle of her walk she turned her head to face Winifred, "Just so we're clear that wasn't a romantic kiss so don't get any ideas". That only deepened the blush on Winifred's face but the older Time Lady wasn't too concerned with her embarrassment. Instead she smiled smugly to herself, like she was remembering an old joke.

From her position at the flight controls, Jenny had a great view of what was happening down at the school. The interference was clearing, allowing them to see inside the dome, "Take a look at this", she spun the monitor around so everyone could see. The blue light from the portal was growing until it had engulfed around a quarter of the school building. One blinding flash later, the temporal dome broke, "I think they've all been sucked back through", the red headed Time Lady declared.

Clara looked closer at the screen, "That's not all that been sucked through", she pointed at the blank space where the main hall and reception area had been, "how am I going to explain this to the school board".

The Doctor smiled to herself, "Well I did promise Ian that he would get his school back mostly intact", she winced as a piece of roof fell off the building and onto the playground, "at least he can't call me a liar". The other occupants of the TARDIS shook their heads but relief was the overwhelming feeling in the time ship. Somehow they had overcome the odds, fending off an invading army of monsters and saved nearly everyone in the school. Now all they had to do was explain why a quarter of the school building was missing and hope that UNIT or someone else would cover the costs.


	16. 6: Onwards & Upwards

_Chapter 8 – Onwards & Upwards_

The cold light of day made the damage to Coal Hill School look even worse than it had at first glance. Most of the main building would have to be condemned as without the front entrance and main hall, it was structurally unstable. The interdimensional wolves had damaged other buildings and the surface of the playground which would be expensive to repair. Even the school field hadn't escaped damage with large scorch marks covering vast sections of the grass. It was a minor miracle that only two people had died. Four other students were still unaccounted for and it was presumed that they had been sucked into the alternate dimension in the days before. Given the high carbon dioxide levels on the other side, sadly the only logical conclusion was that they too had perished. Several others had been seriously injured but they were likely to make a full recovery.

That was of small comfort to Ian Chesterton right now as he surveyed the ruins of the school he had served for over fifty years. He had many happy memories of the place and of course, he had met his wife Barbara whilst teaching at Coal Hill. The school had seen many ups and downs over the course of its history but this could be the final chapter for the establishment. Ian pulled his coat a little tighter to protect himself from the cold wind, the sun was beginning to set and the temperature was dropping. A few moments later he felt a presence just behind his left shoulder. He didn't need to turn around to know who was there, "I let you in for one day and this is what happens", he said gruffly.

"Now who's the cantankerous old man", The Doctor attempted to joke but the humour was lost on her former companion. The Time Lady watched in silence for a couple of minutes as a bulldozer tore down one of the walls, "I'm genuinely sorry Ian", she continued, "if I hadn't done something then the universe would've been torn apart". There was a small tear in her eye as another piece of heavy machinery moved some rubble away. She had good memories of the school as well and it was sad to see what had become of the institution.

Beside her Ian let out a cold chuckle, "The stakes were never that high in my day", he shook his head, "we would turn up, prevent a minor crisis and leave without having to worry about this", he opened his arms to indicate the reminds of the school.

"Time are different Ian", The Doctor replied grimly, "back then the Time Lords would sort out things like this". She let out a loud sigh, she wasn't a huge fan of her people but at least they had their uses. A specialist team from Gallifrey would've sorted out this temporal nexus without anyone noticing. She was just one woman in a TARDIS doing the best that she could. "The safety of the children was my priority", she continued, "this building can be rebuilt but you can't just recreate four hundred humans".

The pair stood in silence against, Ian knew that The Doctor was right but it still didn't dull the pain from the loss of the place that was practically his second home. "I've offered my resignation", Ian stated, changing the subject, "once the board find out that I hired you and Jenny I would probably be fired anyway".

"Oh Ian", The Doctor sighed and tentatively placed an arm on Ian's shoulder. It was then that she picked up on flashes of her former companion's thoughts. Most of them were about Barbara and the happy times they spent within its walls. Maybe for the first time she realised what Coal Hill meant to him. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "This isn't much but it's my contribution to the rebuilding fund".

Ian inspected the pink slip of paper with a frown on his face, "Its a Lottery ticket" he asked the Time Lady, "for last Friday's draw".

The Doctor smirked at the former teacher, "Mrs Bowles and Mr Brown didn't possess the only winning tickets", she replied, "there was a third winner would hasn't stepped forward to claim their prize yet". She flicked the ticket that was in Ian's hand, "Spend the money wisely Chesterfield", she smiled. Realising that he was holding a paper of paper worth millions of pounds, Ian's hands began to shake. He would be able to donate a significant chunk to the rebuilding effort and still have enough to comfortable retire. Happy tears began to roll down his face and he threw his arms around the Time Lady, "Look after those grandchildren of yours", The Doctor whispered in his ear as she enthusiastically returned the gesture.

"I'm still annoyed with you", Ian tried to sound as angry as he could but it wasn't working, "you're still the most insufferable alien I've ever met". He slowly pulled away, wiped his eyes and stood a little straighter, "Don't ever change Doctor", he gave her a weak smile.

"Not planning to Ian", she gave him a mock salute, "I'll see you again Chesterman". She turned around and began to slowly return to the parked TARDIS. Standing near her ship she could see Jenny talking animatedly with Captain Jack. The older Time Lady rolled her eyes and hoped that the immortal man remembered her warning from earlier in the day. A few paces away was Clara, Danny, Gwen and if her eyes weren't mistaken, Kate Stewart. The appearance of the Director of UNIT probably wasn't good news for the Time Lady.

Stuffing her hands deeper into her pockets she made her way towards Director Stewart, it was probably best to get this conversation over with as quickly as possible. "Kate, so nice to see you", she greeted as brightly as she could, "as you can see I've got the situation perfectly under control".

Kate looked incredulously at the Time Lady, then towards the ruins of Coal Hill and finally back to The Doctor, "Clearly under control means something completely different on Gallifrey", she replied dryly.

"Surely a little bit of debris is a small price to pay for the safety of the very fabric of reality", the Time Lady tried to defend her position.

"Doctor you've destroyed my school", Clara growled, "I could be out of a job".

"Technically that was me", the door to the TARDIS opened and Winifred stepped out with her arms full of computer components, "I altered the program but I had no idea it would do this", she added defensively.

The scientist bit her lip nervously, fully expecting UNIT's Director to fire her on the spot. The look on Kate's face seemed to suggest that she was genuinely considering it as a nervous silence fell on the small group. Eventually Kate ran her hand through her blonde hair and let out an exasperated sigh, "I suppose you should get some credit for saving the students, even if Her Majesty was a little alarmed to see them arrive out of thin air". She paused again and looked directly at Winifred, "I'm sorry Winny but I'm going to have to suspend you for a week", the brunette nodded sadly, "with full pay of course, try not to blow anything up during your week off".

Winifred's mouth flapped open a couple of times, shocked that Director Stewart had effectively given her a week's paid holiday, "I-uh", she stammered, "I don't know what to say".

"Winny you're one of my best scientists", Kate said with a softer tone, "I can't afford you lose someone of your calibre". The praise from her boss almost caused Winifred to drop the stuff in her arms, "Just, go home and get some rest", she added.

"See you around Winny", The Doctor called out "I don't think we've seen the last of each other". Winifred frowned at the Time Lady's comment but quickly staggered away before Kate could change her mind.

"She could be one of the best scientists the world has ever seen", Kate sighed, "if only she could find some more self belief".

The Doctor chuckled, "Oh Kate, you have no idea what Winny could be", she stated cryptically. Before the blonde could interject, the Time Lady turned towards Clara, "Looks like the two of you are getting on well". Clara was leaning closely against Danny for support and the Time Lady could see the Maths teacher's hand resting loosely against Clara's waist, "Do I need to create a double room onboard the TARDIS?" she asked.

Clara's eyes quickly flicked towards Danny who seemed to pale at The Doctor's implied question, "I'm not sure what you mean Doctor?"

"Well clearly you two will want to share a room", the Time Lady continued, "and I promise no bunk beds, I've learned my lesson from last time". There was a couple of more nervous looks between Clara and Danny, "Am I missing something?" The Doctor frowned.

"Danny's not coming with us", Clara stated simply. She gripped Danny's hand for support when she made her statement so tightly that his knuckles began to pale.

The Doctor paused for a moment, trying to sense the undercurrent of emotion coming from the pair. Clara hadn't said that she was going to stop travelling but it was clear that Danny was uncomfortable in the Time Lady's presence. She could sense that Clara felt a little awkward, almost like she was thinking of choosing between The Doctor and Danny, "Oh", the raven haired woman began, feeling a little deflated, "well the TARDIS door's always open if you change your mind". Danny nodded stiffly in response and it was clear to the Time Lady that he was never going to change his mind.

"Mum", Jenny called out cheerfully breaking the awkward tension, "guess what, Jack's come up with a proposition".

"Not again Jack", The Doctor rubbed her temples "the last time you had a proposition it took me three weeks to get the smell of yak out of the TARDIS".

Jack's eyes glazed over in reverence at the memory, "Yeah that was a fun night", he sighed, "but it's not that kind of proposition". He turned slightly towards Kate, "Actually this could be of some interest to Director Stewart too". Kate folded her arms across her chest, her full attention on the immortal man, "It's clear that this school sits on a temporal weak spot, maybe someone should be stationed here to keep an eye on it".

Kate thought about Jack's idea for a couple of moments, "Not bad Captain", she began, "it will take some time to get a team in place though. UNIT's resources are a little stretched at the moment".

"Ah that's where Gwen and I come in", Jack interrupted the Director, "we'll keep an eye on the place for a few weeks". The Welshwoman glared at her partner, making it clear that he hadn't discussed this idea with her, "We'll take it in turns Gwennie, can't keep you away from the little one for too long".

Gwen groaned, unhappy that a decision had been made for her without her knowledge, "Fine but call me Gwennie again and I'll test the limits of your immortality".

"Hang on a second", The Doctor interjected herself into the conversation, "we don't know what damage has been done to reality. That should take top priority before anything else is done".

"That's going to be my job", Jenny beamed, "I offered my services to the team". The Doctor twisted her head towards her daughter, "It'll be the perfect opportunity to work on practical problems rather than studying them in a text book and I get to learn more about Earth in the process". The Doctor's face fell slightly with disappointment, "Mum it'll only be for a few weeks, that's a blink of an eye for us", she pleaded with the older Time Lady.

"I know", the dark haired woman sighed, "it's just hard for a parent to release their child into the world".

"Mum I'm eighty seven years old", Jenny replied, "I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself. Plus I'll be staying with Clara so you'll know exactly where I am".

Clara's head snapped towards the red head, "Hang on I don't remember agreeing to that". She could feel Danny tense beside her, unhappy that the younger Time Lady would still be around.

"I-I didn't think it would be a problem", Jenny mumbled, "I don't need to sleep that much anyway, you'll hardly notice I'm there".

The English teacher looked at the pleading face of the young Time Lady. Not only that, she could feel The Doctor staring in her direction too. She couldn't really say no and condemn The Doctor's daughter to living on the streets, "It's not a problem Jenny", she eventually replied, "just, ask me next time before inviting yourself". Almost instantly she was attacked by a red missile as Jenny threw her arms around her, "Yeah, still need to dial those hugs back a bit", she choked out.

The Doctor watched the scene with a knot in her stomach. She knew that it was unrealistic to expect Jenny to travel with her for the rest of their lives. If her daughter was going to grow into a well rounded Time Lady, she would need experiences like this. She just didn't think it would happen so soon, "If you're going to stay then you'll need this", the older Time Lady reached into her jacket to retrieve a leather bracer, "you can't be a proper Time Lady without access to the Time Vortex", she added.

"You fixed my Vortex Manipulator", Jenny gasped, as she attached the device to her wrist. The device had broken when Jenny had been 'killed' on The Moon and it had taken The Doctor all this time to fix it, "Thank you Mum", Jenny smiled.

"Just don't go joy riding around the universe", The Doctor cautioned her daughter. She stood up a little straighter, "Well you know me, I don't like long goodbyes", she hugged her daughter tighter, "signal me when you're done, I've got something special in mind for you and Clara".

Jenny nodded and released her mother, "I will Mum". The Doctor waved goodbye to the others and stepped into the TARDIS. The ship began to dematerialise and the wind whipped up around the observers, "We're going to have so much fun together Clara", Jenny smiled enthusiastically and wrapped an arm around the school teacher. Clara smiled tightly, her plans for the next couple of weeks didn't involve babysitting her alien friend's daughter. Judging by the grim look on Danny's face, this wasn't going to be his idea of fun either.

 **END OF EPISODE 6**

 _ **A/N -** There we go, The Coal Hill Chronicles comes to an end. What I eventually plan on doing is showing what the Doctor and Jenny got up to between the end of this episode and the start of the next one. Basically the Doctor bounces around other fandoms and Jenny helps out Captain Jack and Gwen around the leftovers of Coal Hill. But I want to finish the primary story first then get to the extras stuff. Episode 7 & 8 entitled "All The World's A Stage" will commence in two weeks. _

_Having said that there is a bit of unfinished business from this story relating to Sarah Jane Smith. I wanted to include it here but it spoilt the flow, so I've separated it into a three chapter mini story entitled "Fade To Black" which I will post across three consecutive days next week. Keep an eye out for it or set up an author alert if you don't want to miss either of these._


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